ii2 PHYSICAL BASIS OF CIVILIZATION 



and which ends when he began to arm himself 

 artificially. It has been demonstrated that gregari- 

 ousness would have operated against his survival 

 during this period. The habitual collection in 

 crowds or numbers of such helpless, vulnerable 

 creatures, so easy to kill without risk to their assail- 

 ants ; so easy to discover from the distance ; so easy 

 to eat without the hindrances interposed by woolly, 

 furry, and hairy hides ; could only have led to whole- 

 sale slaughters by their enemies, and, therefore, 

 taking the slow rate of reproduction into account, to 

 the speedy extermination of the race. These 

 reasons justify the conclusion that, during the epoch 

 here discussed, creatures of the "genus homo" were 

 found mostly wandering in search of food or hiding 

 by ones and twos, and that so many as an adult male 

 and female with two or three of their young was a 

 rare and risky gathering. 



Could the advantages have outweighed the risks 

 of gregariousness ? By no means. Unprovided 

 with even the smallest means of offence and defence 

 what resistance could such creatures offer ? Though 

 assembled in great numbers, what possible injury 

 or pain could they inflict upon their powerful ene- 

 mies, armed with fangs, tusks, teeth, horns, poison 

 glands, claws, talons, etc., protected by thick hide, 

 shaggy fur, scales, etc., etc. Evidently none worth 

 mentioning. Even the goat, the deer and the sheep 

 have horns and sharp incisors and prognathous 

 jaws, shaggy fur, and thick hides. The little 



