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 palzolithic 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 preéminent 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 
