3o6 THE ASCENT OF MAN 



and the mountains — we at once perceive that though 

 there is an immense amount of warfare and ex- 

 termination going on amidst various species, and 

 especially amidst various classes of animals, there 

 is, at the same time, as much, or perhaps more, of 

 mutual support, mutual aid, and mutual defence, 

 amidst animals belonging to the same species or, 

 at least, to the same society. Sociability is as 

 much a law of Nature as mutual struggle. 

 If we resort to an indirect test and ask Nature 

 * Who are the fittest : those who are continually at 

 war with each other, or those who support one 

 another ? ' we at once see that those animals which 

 acquire habits of mutual aid are undoubtedly the 

 fittest. They have more chances to survive, and 

 they attain, in their respective classes, the highest 

 development of intelligence and bodily organ- 

 ization. If the numberless facts which can 

 be brought forward to support this view are 

 taken into account, we may safely say that 

 mutual aid is as much a law of animal life as 

 mutual struggle ; but that, as a factor of evolu- 

 tion, it most probably has a far greater import- 

 ance, inasmuch as it favours the development 

 of such habits and character as ensure the main- 

 tenance and further development of the species, 

 together with the greatest amount of welfare and 



