/ 
Chap. V. CIVILISED NATIONS. 173 
4059 years. 17 Profligate women bear few children, and 
profligate men rarely marry ; both suffer from disease. 
In the breeding of domestic animals, the elimination of 
those individuals, though few in number, which are in 
any marked manner inferior, is by no means an unim- 
portant element towards success. This especially holds 
good with injurious characters which tend to reappear 
through reversion, such as blackness in sheep ; and 
with mankind some of the worst dispositions, which 
occasionally without any assignable cause make their 
appearance in families, may perhaps be reversions to 
a savage state, from which we are not removed by very 
many generations. This view seems indeed recognised 
in the common expression that such men are the black 
sheep of the family. 
With civilised nations, as far as an advanced stand- 
ard of morality, and an increased number of fairly 
well-endowed men are concerned, natural selection ap- 
parently effects but little; though the fundamental 
social instincts were originally thus gained. But I 
have already said enough, whilst' treating of the lower 
races, on the causes which lead to the advance of 
morality, namely, the approbation of our fellow-men— 
the strengthening of our sympathies by habit — example 
and imitation — reason— experience and even self-inte- 
rest — instruction during youth, and religious feelings. 
A most important obstacle in civilised countries to 
an increase in the number of men of a superior class has 
been strongly urged by Mr. Greg and Mr. Gallon, 18 
17 E. Eay Lankester, 6 Comparative Longevity,’ 1870, p. 115. The 
table of the intemperate is from Neison’s ‘Vital Statistics.’ In regard 
to profligacy, see Dr. Farr, “ Influence of Marriage on Mortality,” ‘Nat. 
Assoc, for the Promotion of Social Science,’ 1858. 
18 ‘ Fraser’s Magazine,’ Sept. 1868, p. 353. ‘ Macmillan’s Magazine,’ 
Aug. 1865, p. 318. The Eev. F. W. Farrar (‘ Fraser’s Mag.,’ Aug. 1870, 
p. 26 1) takes a different view. 
