338 
sexual selection: man. 
Part II. 
On the influence of beauty in determining the mar- 
riages of mankind . — In civilised life man is largely, but 
by no means exclusively, influenced in the choice of 
his wife by external appearance ; but we are chiefly 
concerned with primeval times, and our only means of 
forming a judgment on this subject is to study the habits 
of existing semi-civilised and savage nations. If it can 
be shewn that the men of different races prefer women 
having certain characteristics, or conversely that the 
women prefer certain men, we have then to enquire 
whether such choice, continued during many generations, 
would produce any sensible effect on the race, either 
on one sex or both sexes ; this latter circumstance 
depending on the form of inheritance which prevails. 
It will be well first to shew in some detail that savages 
pay the greatest attention to their personal appearance . 36 
That they have a passion for ornament is notorious; 
and an English philosopher goes so lar as to maintain 
that clothes were first made for ornament and not for 
warmth. As Professor Waitz remarks, “ however poor 
“ and miserable man is, he finds a pleasure in adorning 
“ himself.” The extravagance of the naked Indians of 
South America in decorating themselves is shewn “by 
“ a man of large stature gaining with difficulty enough 
“ by the labour of a fortnight to procure in exchange 
36 A full and excellent account of the manner in -which savages in 
all parts of the world ornament themselves is given by the Italian 
traveller, Prof. Mantcgazza, ‘Rio de la Plata, Viaggi e Studi,’ 1867, 
p. 525-545; all the following statements, when other references are 
not given, are taken from this work. See, also, Waitz, ‘ Introduce to 
Anthropolog.’ Eng. trnnsl. vol. i. 1863, p. 275, et passim. Lawrence 
also gives very full details in his ‘Lectures on Physiology,’ 1822. 
Since this chapter was written Sir J. Lubbock has published bis 
‘ Origin of Civilisation,’ 1870, in which there is an interesting chapter 
on the present subject, and from which (p. 42, 48) I have taken some 
facts about savages dyeing their teeth and hair, and piercing their teeth. 
