324 
SEXUAL selection: man. 
Part IT. 
server, Heariie,^^ says : — It has ever been the custom 
among these people for the men to wrestle for any 
woman to whom they are attached ; and, of course, the 
strongest party always carries off the prize. A weak 
man, unless he be a good hunter, and well-beloved, 
is seldom permitted to keep a wife that a stronger 
man thinks wwth his notice. This custom prevails 
throughout all the tribes, and causes a great spirit 
of emulation among their youth, who are upon all 
occasions, from their childhood, trying their strength 
and skill in wrestling.” With the Guanas of South 
America, Azara states that the men rarely marry till 
twenty or more years old, as before that age they 
cannot conquer their rivals. 
Other similar facts could be given ; but even if we 
had no evidence on this head, w^e might feel almost 
sure, from the analogy of the higher Quad rum ana,^^ 
that the law of battle had prevailed with man during 
the early stages of his development. The occasional 
appearance at the present day of canine teeth which 
project above the others, with traces of a diastema or 
open space for the reception of the opposite canines, is 
in all probability a case of reversion to a former state, 
wdien the progenitors of man were provided with these 
weapons, like so many existing male Quadrumana. It 
was remarked in a former chapter that as man gra- 
dually became erect, and continually used his hands 
and arms for fighting with sticks and stones, as well as 
for the other purposes of life, he would have used his 
*A Journey from Prince of Wales Fort,’ 8vo. edit. Dublin, 1796, 
p. 101. Sir J. Lubbock (‘Origin of Civilisation,’ 1870, p. 69) gives 
other and similar cases in North America. For the Guanas of S. 
America see Azara, ‘ Voyages,’ &c. tom. ii. p. 94. 
On the fighting of tlie male gorillas, see Dr. Savage, in ‘ Boston 
Journal of Nat. Hist.’ vol. v. 1847, p. 423. On Preshytis entellus, see 
the ‘ Indian Field,’ 1859, p. 146. 
