The Wit of the Wild 



r 



time of the year, would lead to the utilization 

 of those supplies casually saved in or near the 

 burrow or house. 



The animal which had been most busy, inde- 

 fatigable, and clever in gathering food would 

 then be the one having in possession the largest 

 amount of these leavings of his autumnal feasts. 

 Having the most food, he would be among those 

 in the colony or neighborhood most likely to 

 survive, and to perpetuate in his descendants 

 the industrious qualities which had been his 

 salvation. He would probably also be one 

 of the strongest and fattest of his kind, and 

 hence in general more fit to stand the strains 

 of existence. 



The action of natural selection would after 

 due time increase in the line of descent from 

 such an ancestor the transmitted greed for 

 gathering food in the fall, until, quite unknown 

 to itself in each passing individual, and, there- 

 fore, implying no creditable virtue of char- 

 acter, the mere busybody of old times would 

 develop into our model of thrift, 



48 



