ENRICO FERRI ON HOMICIDE. 679 



historical evolution that forms the theme of the last chapter, 

 and consequently those which bear on the natural causes of homi- 

 cide. It is necessary, therefore, to commence with animals and 

 end with man, who is but the last link in the same chain. 



Simplifying and generalizing the elementary notions that pre- 

 vail on the matter of homicide, it may be said that it is the de- 

 struction of one animal by another of the same species. Homicide 

 as a criminal fact does not consist in the act of taking life since 

 killing in order to live is a natural law, and hence is moral but 

 in killing a being of the same species. All beings of a superior 

 species kill those of an inferior one in order to nourish them- 

 selves. The deed becomes criminal only when it is unnatural. 

 This fact of unnaturalness defines it as a crime. 



Sociology of late has planted its pioneers in the ranks of zool- 

 ogy. This was done by Lombroso in his Criminal Anthropology, 

 and on these lines all scientists work nowadays. These scientific 

 conclusions, which affirm the strict relationship, psychological as 

 well as physical, existing between man and the other animals, 

 every day demonstrates as more true. Hence the embryology of 

 murder must be sought in the obscure depths of zoo-psychology, 

 for it is now certain that the criminal activity of man is only the 

 reproduction of animal criminality, developed and modified by 

 means of intelligence. Homicide is a primitive crime like theft, 

 and can be found in nearly all its forms and variety of motives in 

 the animal world. As in man so in beasts there are races more 

 prone than others to the taking of life, beings who transmit the 

 murderous instinct. The classification of animal criminology 

 made by Ferri can therefore be extended to man. Utilizing the 

 studies and researches in animal psychology made up to the 

 present, the author classifies in convenient grades a goodly num- 

 ber of the most accredited facts, demonstrating how homicide 

 manifests itself in the animal kingdom. These facts are more nu- 

 merous than would be generally imagined, and well adapted for 

 precise classification. The first group, which relates to the differ- 

 ent aspects of the struggle for life, nutrition, social supremacy, 

 and sexual reproduction, deals with the crimes due to the natural 

 laws of existence. The general character of this group presents a 

 minor degree of perversion than those of premeditated ones of the 

 second group, which includes murder determined by an instinct 

 in the species. Animals destroy each other from sexual instinct, 

 for love, maternal affection, for defense, for the common weal, for 

 punishment. With respect to this last motive punishment 

 among animals, which some deny, considering it a mere question 

 of vendetta, Ferri maintains that among animals, besides this 

 motive, there exists a more or less exact notion of chastisement. 

 Our author admits that it is difficult to distinguish the sentiment 



