164 ORGANIC EVOLUTION — MENTAL 



man's presence, exhibit, after a single generation, all the 

 traits of their wild congeners, including extreme dislike 

 and dread of man. On the other hand, many wild 

 animals, especially those who have a minimum of in- 

 stinct of inborn mental traits, and a maximum of reason, 

 of acquired mental traits, such as monkeys, ichneumons, 

 parrots, jackdaws, &c., exhibit in the iirst generation of 

 captivity as thorough a subjection to man as the species 

 longest domesticated, especially if during growth, and 

 even during- adult life, they are allowed no commerce 

 with, and so can acquire no traits from, the wild 

 members of the same species. 



As regards man also, the inborn variations caused in 

 him by " centuries of civilization " can only be such as 

 are due to Natural Selection, acting under somewhat 

 changed conditions. These, as will be seen, are often 

 very important physically, but much less important 

 mentally. It will be found that civilized man differs 

 mentally from savage man almost exclusively in acquired 

 traits, the difference in inborn traits being practically 

 inappreciable, except in one instance, which, however, is 

 of capital importance. 



