764 THE DESCENT OF MAN 



infants; and this would effectually prevent preference being 

 exerted on either side according to personal appearance. 

 But it would not prevent the more attractive women from 

 being afterward stolen or taken by force from their hus- 

 bands by the more powerful men; and this often happens 

 in Australia, America, and elsewhere. The same conse- 

 quences with reference to sexual selection would to a cer- 

 tain extent follow, when women are valued almost solely as 

 slaves or beasts of burden, as is the case with many savages. 

 The men, however, at all times, would prefer the handsom- 

 est slaves according to their standard of beauty. 



We thus see that several customs prevail with savages 

 which must greatly interfere with, or completely stop, the 

 action of sexual selection. On the other hand, the condi- 

 tions of life to which savages are exposed, and some of 

 their habits, are favorable to natural selection; and this 

 comes into play at the same time with sexual selection. 

 Savages are known to suffer severely from recurrent fam- 

 ines; they do not increase their food by artificial means; 

 they rarely refrain from marriage," and generally marry 

 while young. Consequently they must be subjected to 

 occasional hard struggles for existence, and the favored 

 individuals will alone survive. 



At a very early period, before man attained to his present 

 rank in the scale, many of his conditions would be different 

 from what now obtains among savages. Judging from the 

 analogy of the lower animals, he would then either live with 

 a single female or be a polygamist. The most powerful and 

 able males would succeed best in obtaining attractive fe- 

 gmales. They would also succeed best in the general strug- 

 gle for life, and in defending their females, as well as their 

 offspring, from enemies of all kinds. At this early period 



'• Burchill says ("Travels in 8. Africa," vol. ii., 1824, p. 58), that among 

 the wild nations of Southern Africa, neither men nor women ever pass their 

 lives in a state of celibacy. Azara ("Voyages dans I'Am^rique M^rid.," torn, 

 ii., 1809, p. 21) makes precisely the same remark in regard to the wild Indians 

 of South America. 



