382 THE ASCENT OF MAN 



but their very variety is the proof of an under- 

 lying principle. For these dates show that each 

 animal in each particular country chooses that time 

 of the year to give birth to her young when they will 

 have the best chance of surviving — that is to say, 

 when the climate is mildest, food most abundant, 

 and the prospects of life on the whole most favour- 

 able. The dormouse thus brings forth its young in 

 August, when the nuts begin to ripen ; and the 

 young deer sees the light just before the first grass 

 shoots into greenness. Because those born at this 

 season survived and those born out of it perished, by 

 the prolonged action of Natural Selection these 

 dates in time probably became engrained in the 

 species, and would only alter with climate itself 



But when Man's Evolution made a certain pro- 

 gress, and when the Mother's care reached mature 

 perfection, it was no longer imperative for children 

 to be born only when the sun was shining, and the 

 fruits grew ripe. The parents could now make 

 provision for any weather and for any dearth. 

 They could give their little ones clothes when nights 

 grew cold ; they could build barns and granaries 

 against times of famine. In any climate, and at 

 any time, their young were safe ; and the old 

 marriage dates, with their subsequent desertions, 

 were struck from the human calendar. So arose, or 



