494 PROGRESS OF SCIENCE IN THE CENTURY. 



the consequent differentiation of the limbs into hands 

 and feet, and (3) the casual relation between this and 

 the development of the brain. But what prompted 

 man or his forerunners to abandon arboreal life and 

 stand erect upon the earth remains a riddle. 



(h) If we grant the primitive man an erect atti- 

 tude, the habit of using his hands, a big brain, some 

 words at least, some family life, and so on, as far 

 as the anthropoid analogy will in fairness admit, but 

 deny him strength enough to keep his foothold by 

 that virtue, it may seem more than a platitude to 

 say that natural selection w^ould favour the develop- 

 ment of wits, and not only wits, but, in the widest 

 sense, " love,'' which became a new source of 

 strength. 



(c) The influence of the family was probably an 

 important factor, fostering sympathy and gentleness, 

 prompting talk and division of labour. Even in 

 early days children would educate their parents. 

 As rudimentary forms of family life are exhibited by 

 gorillas, chimpanzees, etc., there is no reason to 

 make any particular difficulty over its human 

 origin. We are certainly not compelled to believe 

 in original promiscuity, though such phases may 

 have occurred. The conclusions of McLennan and 

 Morgan have to be corrected in the light of the criti- 

 cisms of Westermarck, Hale, and others. And again 

 it must be remembered that pairing for life or for 

 prolonged periods occurs both among mammals and 

 birds. 



(d) As the prolonged helpless infancy, character- 

 istic of human offspring, tightened the family bond, 

 and helped to evolve gentleness; as related families 

 combined in a rudimentary clan for protection 

 against wild beasts and other rudimentary clans, there 



