38 DARWINISM AND EVOLUTION. 



" the animal kingdom, in that appreciation of the regularity of 

 " recurrence which, at its simplest is as purely sensuous as pleasure 

 " in formless sound, and within the reach of comparatively simple 

 " nervous organisations. It is the same recurrence which, when 

 " it assumes true regularity, we call rhythm ; and which, in the 

 " shape of a basis of regular accents, remains, and will remain, to 

 " the end of time a characteristic of all series of sounds possessing 

 " wide permanent charm for human ears. It is worth noticing 

 " that the prominent quality of savage performances, to a civilised 

 " ear, is their monotony and hideousness ; and though many have 

 " remarked the precision, few have remarked the high develop- 

 " ment of their rhythmic element. Among the Zulus, not only is 

 " the device of ' syncopation ' effectively used, but the still more 

 " recherche effect of double against triple time." 



Let us contrast the performance of these poor mammals with 

 the soft cadence of the cuckoo, the sweet melody of the nightingale, 

 and the impassioned song of the skylark ; and say where is the 

 higher art ! 



THE MORAL SENSE. 



HPhe development of the moral sense has taken place along two 

 -*- lines. 



1. There is evolution on what is called the "utilitarian" line, 

 based on the grand distinction between the useful and the useless, 

 which every animal must make in the pursuit of food or in the 

 construction of some kind of abode. That the moral sense has 

 been in a large degree evolved in this manner is shown by the 

 meaning of our own language ; by the origin of the words "right" 

 and "wrong." Right means straight, and wrong is wrung, twisted, 

 bent, crooked. " Good " also means suitable or fit, and conies 

 from a root gad, whence we get our word " to gather." We gather 

 what is suitable, and what is suitable is good. 



2. The other deep-lying distinction from which is evolved our 

 moral sense, is the difference between the clean and the unclean. 

 Mr. Watts has told us how carefully swallows prevent their nest 

 from becoming fouled. We are constant observers of the way in 

 which many animals clean themselves and their offspring. Alex- 

 ander Agassiz has seen an echinus rapidly passing particles of 



