SEXUAL SELECTION IN RELATION TO MAN 733 



concerned with these, as music in harmony is a late inven- 

 tion. We are more concerned with mel6dy, and here again, 

 according to Helmholtz, it is intelligible why the notes of 

 our musical scale are used. The ear analyzes all sounds 

 into their component "simple vibrations," although we are 

 not conscious of this analysis. In a musical note the lowest 

 in pitch of these is generally predominant, and the others 

 which are less marked are the octave, the twelfth, the sec- 

 ond octave, etc., all harmonies of 'the fundamental predomi- 

 nant note; any two notes of our scale have many of these 

 harmonic over-tones in common. It seems pretty clear, 

 then, that if an animal always wished to sing precisely 

 the same song, he would guide himself by sounding those 

 notes in succession which possess many over-tones in com- 

 mon—that is, he would choose for his song notes which 

 belong to our musical scale. 



But if it be further asked why musical tones in a certain 

 order and rhythm give man and other animals pleasure, we 

 can no more give the reason than for the pleasantness of cer- 

 tain tastes and smells. That they do give pleasure of some 

 kind to animals we may infer from their being produced 

 during the season of courtship by many insects, spiders, 

 fishes, amphibians, and birds; for, unless the females were 

 able to appreciate such sounds and were excited or charmed 

 by them, the persevering efforts of the males, and the com- 

 plex structures often possessed by them alone, would be 

 useless; and this it is impossible to believe. 



Human song is generally admitted to be the basis or origin 

 of instrumental music. As neither the enjoyment nor the 

 capacity of producing musical notes are faculties of the least 

 use to man in reference to his daily habits of life, they must 

 be ranked among the most mysterious with which he is en- 

 dowed. They are present, though in a very rude condition, 

 in men of all races, even the most savage; but so different 

 is the taste of the several races, that our music gives no 

 pleasure to savages, and their music is to us in most cases 

 hideous and unmeaning Dr. Seemann, in some interesting 



