PARENT AND OFFSPRING 135 



freedom of movement. It need hardly be said that 

 this rather hinders than aids the growth of the child. 

 The care given to the human infant, so much greater 

 in comparison with the animals, lessens considerably 

 the loss among the young, though we find even here 

 that among primitive races the destruction is large 

 and often deliberate. The rule still holds good that 



FIG. 54. ESKIMO MOTHER CARRYING CHILD IN BIG BOOT. 



the lower races produce more offspring than the higher. 

 But even in the lowest races a girl is not sufficiently 

 developed for child-bearing until after her tenth year; 

 early as this may seem compared with European 

 nations, it is late compared with the animals. The 

 fertility is lessened not only by the longer period of 

 pregnancy, but also by the prolonged suckling among 

 primitive races. Seemingly, however, the number of 



