[75] See my "Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication," vol. i. p. 27.
[76] See a discussion on this subject in Mr. E. B. Tylor"s very interesting work, "Researches into the Early History of Mankind," 1865, chaps. ii. to iv.
[77] Hon. Daines Barrington in "Philosoph. Transactions," 1773, p. 262. See also Dureau de la Malle, in "Ann. des Sc. Nat." 3rd series, Zoolog. tom. x. p. 119.
[78] "On the Origin of Language," by H. Wedgwood, 1866.
"Chapters on Language," by the Rev. F. W. Farrar, 1865. These works are most interesting. See also "De la Phys. et de Parole," par Albert Lemoine, 1865, p. 190. The work on this subject, by the late Prof. Aug. Schleicher, has been translated by Dr. Bikkers into English, under the t.i.tle of "Darwinism tested by the Science of Language," 1869.
[79] Vogt, "Memoire sur les Microcephales," 1867, p. 169. With respect to savages, I have given some facts in my "Journal of Researches," &c., 1845, p. 206.
[80] See clear evidence on this head in the two works so often quoted, by Brehm and Rengger.
[81] See remarks on this head by Dr. Maudsley, "The Physiology and Pathology of Mind," 2nd edit. 1868, p. 199.
[82] Many curious cases have been recorded. See, for instance, "Inquiries Concerning the Intellectual Powers," by Dr.
Abercrombie, 1838, p. 150.
[83] "The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication,"
vol. ii. p. 6.
[84] See some good remarks to this effect by Dr. Maudsley, "The Physiology and Pathology of Mind," 1808, p. 199.
[85] Macgillivray, "Hist. of British Birds," vol. ii. 1839, p.
29. An excellent observer, Mr. Blackwall, remarks that the magpie learns to p.r.o.nounce single words, and even short sentences, more readily than almost any other British bird; yet, as he adds, after long and closely investigating its habits, he has never known it, in a state of nature, display any unusual capacity for imitation. "Researches in Zoology,"
1834, p. 158.
[86] See the very interesting parallelism between the development of species and languages, given by Sir C. Lyell in "The Geolog. Evidences of the Antiquity of Man," 1863, chap.
xxiii.
[87] See remarks to this effect by the Rev. F. W. Farrar, in an interesting article, ent.i.tled "Philology and Darwinism" in "Nature," March 24th, 1870, p. 528.
[88] "Nature," Jan. 6th, 1870, p. 257.
[89] Quoted by C. S. Wake, "Chapters on Man," 1868, p. 101.
[90] Buckland, "Bridgewater Treatise," p. 411.
[91] See some good remarks on the simplification of languages, by Sir J. Lubbock, "Origin of Civilisation," 1870, p. 278.
[92] "Conferences sur la Theorie Darwinienne," French translat., 1869, p. 132.
[93] The Rev. Dr. J. M"Cann, "Anti-Darwinism," 1869, p. 13.
[94] "The Spectator," Dec. 4th, 1869, p. 1430.
[95] See an excellent article on this subject by the Rev. F. W.
Farrar, in the "Anthropological Review," Aug. 1864, p. ccxvii.
For further facts see Sir J. Lubbock, "Prehistoric Times," 2nd edit. 1869. p. 564; and especially the chapters on Religion in his "Origin of Civilisation," 1870.
[96] The Worship of Animals and Plants, in the "Fortnightly Review," Oct. 1, 1869, p. 422.
[97] Tylor, "Early History of Mankind," 1865, p. 6. See also the three striking chapters on the Development of Religion, in Lubbock"s "Origin of Civilisation," 1870. In a like manner Mr.
Herbert Spencer, in his ingenious essay in the "Fortnightly Review" (May 1st, 1870, p. 535), accounts for the earliest forms of religious belief throughout the world, by man being led through dreams, shadows, and other causes, to look at himself as a double essence, corporeal and spiritual. As the spiritual being is supposed to exist after death and to be powerful, it is propitiated by various gifts and ceremonies, and its aid invoked. He then further shews that names or nicknames given from some animal or other object to the early progenitors or founders of a tribe, are supposed after a long interval to represent the real progenitor of the tribe; and such animal or object is then naturally believed still to exist as a spirit, is held sacred, and worshipped as a G.o.d.
Nevertheless I cannot but suspect that there is a still earlier and ruder stage, when anything which manifests power or movement is thought to be endowed with some form of life, and with mental faculties a.n.a.logous to our own.
[98] See an able article on the Psychical Elements of Religion, by Mr. L. Owen Pike, in "Anthropolog. Review," April, 1870, p.
lxiii.
[99] "Religion, Moral, &c., der Darwin"schen Art-Lehre," 1869, s. 53.
[100] "Prehistoric Times," 2nd edit. p. 571. In this work (at p. 553) there will be found an excellent account of the many strange and capricious customs of savages.
[101] See, for instance, on this subject, Quatref.a.ges, "Unite de l"Espece Humaine," 1861, p. 21, &c.
[102] "Dissertation on Ethical Philosophy," 1837, p. 231, &c.
[103] "Metaphysics of Ethics," translated by J. W. Semple, Edinburgh, 1836, p. 136.
[104] Mr. Bain gives a list ("Mental and Moral Science," 1868, p. 543-725) of twenty-six British authors who have written on this subject, and whose names are familiar to every reader; to these, Mr. Bain"s own name, and those of Mr. Lecky, Mr.
Shadworth Hodgson, and Sir J. Lubbock, as well as of others, may be added.
[105] Sir B. Brodie, after observing that man is a social animal ("Psychological Enquiries," 1854, p. 192), asks the pregnant question, "ought not this to settle the disputed question as to the existence of a moral sense?" Similar ideas have probably occurred to many persons, as they did long ago to Marcus Aurelius. Mr. J. S. Mill speaks, in his celebrated work, "Utilitarianism," (1864, p. 46), of the social feelings as a "powerful natural sentiment," and as "the natural basis of sentiment for utilitarian morality;" but on the previous page he says, "if, as is my own belief, the moral feelings are not innate, but acquired, they are not for that reason less natural." It is with hesitation that I venture to differ from so profound a thinker, but it can hardly be disputed that the social feelings are instinctive or innate in the lower animals; and why should they not be so in man? Mr. Bain (see, for instance, "The Emotions and the Will," 1865, p. 481) and others believe that the moral sense is acquired by each individual during his lifetime. On the general theory of evolution this is at least extremely improbable.
[106] "Die Darwin"sche Theorie," s. 101.
[107] Mr. R. Brown in "Proc. Zoolog. Soc." 1868, p. 409.
[108] Brehm, "Thierleben," B. i. 1864, s. 52, 79. For the case of the monkeys extracting thorns from each other, see s. 54.
With respect to the Hamadryas turning over stones, the fact is given (s. 76) on the evidence of Alvarez, whose observations Brehm thinks quite trustworthy. For the cases of the old male baboons attacking the dogs, see s. 79; and with respect to the eagle, s. 56.
[109] "Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist." November, 1868, p. 382.
[110] Sir J. Lubbock, "Prehistoric Times," 2nd edit. p. 446.
[111] As quoted by Mr. L. H. Morgan, "The American Beaver,"
1868, p. 272. Capt. Stansbury also gives an interesting account of the manner in which a very young pelican, carried away by a strong stream, was guided and encouraged in its attempts to reach the sh.o.r.e by half a dozen old birds.
[112] As Mr. Bain states, "effective aid to a sufferer springs from sympathy proper:" "Mental and Moral Science," 1868, p.
245.
[113] "Thierleben," B. i. s. 85.
[114] "De l"Espece et de la Cla.s.s." 1869, p. 97.
[115] "Der Darwin"schen Art-Lehre," 1869, s. 54.
[116] Brehm, "Thierleben," B. i. s. 76.
[117] See the first and striking chapter in Adam Smith"s "Theory of Moral Sentiments." Also Mr. Bain"s "Mental and Moral Science," 1868, p. 244, and 275-282. Mr. Bain states, that "sympathy is, indirectly, a source of pleasure to the sympathiser;" and he accounts for this through reciprocity. He remarks that "the person benefited, or others in his stead, may make up, by sympathy and good offices returned, for all the sacrifice." But if, as appears to be the case, sympathy is strictly an instinct, its exercise would give direct pleasure, in the same manner as the exercise, as before remarked, of almost every other instinct.