BRUTE-MAN'S HELPLESSNESS 23 



Firstly, most creatures are naturally armed for 

 offense and defense. They have horns, tusks, claws, 

 stings, fangs, talons, poisons, sharp teeth, protruding 

 jaws, etc., wherewith either to defend themselves 

 against enemies, or to attack and pursue their prey. 

 Man has none of these. 



Secondly, most mammalia possess heavy fur, 

 thick hides, or both, or some equivalent of these, 

 which protect their bodies from scratches, cuts, or 

 abrasions, which thorns, needles, stones, etc., or 

 antagonists in the original habitats, might otherwise 

 inflict. These means also protect them against 

 changes of temperature, and from biting winds and 

 biting enemies ; from snow, hail, rain, etc. Man has 

 no protection of this sort. 



Thirdly, the hairy bodies of many mammalia 

 match well with the prevailing tints in their usual 

 habitats, and are, therefore, ready means of conceal- 

 ment from their enemies or prey. This increases 

 their chances of escape and of obtaining sustenance. 

 Primitive man's glossy, unclad, bare-skinned, tall, 

 upright body made him a particularly prominent, 

 easily perceived mark. The absence of hide and 

 fur, which carnivora are forced to strip off before 

 they can devour other creatures, made primitive 

 man an easy, therefore attractive morsel for these 

 predatory creatures- 



Proportionally to the size of his body, the viscera 

 of man are less capacious than those of most other 

 mammalians. He is, therefore, caeteris paribus, 



