323 SEXUAL SELECTION: MAN. [Part IL 



which, at an extremely remote period, Iiis half-human an- 

 cestors aroused each other's ardent passions, during their 

 mutual courtship and rivalry. 



On the Influence of Beauty in determining the Mar- 

 riages of Mankind. — In civilized life man is largely, but 

 by no means exclusively, influenced in the choice of his 

 wife by external appearance ; but we are chiefly con- 

 cerned witli primeval times, and our only means of form- 

 ing a judgment on this subject is to study the habits of 

 existing semi-civilized and savage nations. If it can be 

 shown that the men of difierent races prefer women hav- 

 ing certain characteristics, or conversely that the women 

 prefer certain men, we have then to inquire whether such 

 choice, continued during many generations, would pro- 

 duce any sensible cfiect on the race, either on one sex on 

 both sexes; this latter circumstance dejjending on the 

 form of inheritance which prevails. 



It will be well first to show in some detail that sav- 

 ages pay the greatest attention to their personal appear- 

 ance." That they have a passion for ornament is notori- 

 ous ; and an English philosopher goes so far as to main- 

 tain that clothes were first made for ornament and not for 

 warmth. As Prof. Waitz remarks, "however poor and 

 miserable man is, he finds a pleasure in adorning himself." 



2* A full and excellent account of the manner in which savages in all 

 parts of the world ornament themselves is given by the Italian traveller, 

 Prof. Mantega/.za, ' Rio de la Plata, Viaggi e Studi,' 1867, pp. 5^5-545 ; 

 all the following statements, when other references are not given, are 

 taken from this work. Sec, also, Waitz, 'Introduct. to Anthropolog.' 

 Eiig. transl. vol. i. 1863, p. 275, et passim. Lawrence also gives very 

 full details in his ' Lectures on Physiology,' 1822. Since this chapter 

 was written, Sir J. Lubbock has pubhshed his 'Origin of CrviUzafion,' 

 1870, in which there is an interesting chapter on the present subject, 

 and from which (pp. 42, 48) I have taken some facts about savages dye- 

 ing their teeth and hair, and piercing their teeth. 



