﻿Introduction. 31 



should Mr. Wallace select the particular instances of 

 the mathematical and aesthetic powers in savages as in 

 any special sense "prophetic" of future development 

 in trained members of civilized races ? Although it 

 is true that these " latent capacities and powers are 

 unused by savages," is it not equally true that savages 

 fail to use their latent capacities and powers as 

 tumblers and athletes? Moreover, is it not likewise 

 true that as used by savages, or as occurring normally 

 in man, such capacities and powers are no less poorly 

 developed than are those of the " faculties " on which 

 Mr. Wallace lays so much stress? In other words, 

 are not " latent capacities and powers " of all kinds 

 more or less equally in excess of anything that is ever 

 required of them by man in a state of nature ? There- 

 fore, if we say that where mathematics and the fine 

 arts are concerned the potential capacities of savage 

 man are in some mystical sense " prophetic " of 

 a Newton or a Beethoven, so in consistency ought we 

 to say that in these same capacities we discern a 

 similar prophecy of those other uses of civilized life 

 which we have in a rope-dancer or a clown. 



Again, and in addition to this, it should be remem- 

 bered that, even if we do suppose any prophecy of 

 this kind where the particular capacities in question 

 are concerned, we must clearly extend the reference to 

 the lower animals. Not a few birds display aesthetic 

 feelings in a measure fairly comparable with those of 

 savages; while we know that some animals present 

 the germs of a " faculty " of computation *. But, it is 



1 See Proc. Zool. Soc. June 4, 1889, f° r an account of the performances 

 in this respect of the Chimpanzee " Sally." Also, for some remarks on 

 the psychology of the subject, in Mental Evolution in Man, p. 215. 

 I should like to take this opportunity of stating that, after the two 



