Survival of the Fittest. 447 



specially upon man, has been expressed in this chapter. 

 After he had acquired those intellectual and moral faculties 

 which largely distinguish him from the lower animals in a 

 state of nature, he would have been but little liable to have 

 his bodily structure modified through Natural Selection or 

 any other means, for man is enabled, through his mental 

 faculties, "to keep with an unchanged body in harmony 

 with the changing universe." He has a most wonderful 

 power of adapting his habits to altered conditions of life. 

 Tools, weapons and various devices are invented by him for 

 the procurement of food and bodily defence. And when he 

 migrates into a colder climate, he uses clothes, builds sheds 

 and makes fire, and by its aid cooks food that would other- 

 wise be indigestible. The lower animals, however, must 

 have their bodily structure modified in order to survive 

 under greatly changed conditions. They must be rendered 

 stronger, or acquire more effective teeth or claws, or both, 

 if they would successfully defend themselves from new 

 enemies, or they must be reduced in proportions, so as to 

 escape detection and danger. When they remove into colder 

 climates they must become clothed in thicker fur, or have 

 their constitutions altered, for failure to be thus modified 

 must ultimately result in their ceasing to exist. But in the 

 case of man's intellectual and moral faculties, as has been 

 shown by Wallace, it is widely different. These faculties 

 are quite variable, and there is reason to believe that the 

 variations tend to be inherited. Therefore, if they were 

 formerly of high importance to palaeolithic man and his ape- 

 like progenitors, they would have been perfected or advanced 

 through Natural Selection. But of the high importance of 

 the intellectual faculties there can be no question, for man 

 owes to them in a great measure his preeminent position in 

 the world. It can be seen that, in the rudest state of society, 

 the individuals who were the most sagacious, and who were 

 the most skilful in the invention of weapons or traps, and 

 who were the best able to defend themselves, would rear the 



