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The Descent of Man

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many accidents on land and water in their<br />

search for food; and in some countries they<br />

suffer much from the larger beasts <strong>of</strong> prey.<br />

Even in India, districts have been depopulated<br />

by the ravages <strong>of</strong> tigers.<br />

Malthus has discussed these several checks, but<br />

he does not lay stress enough on what is probably<br />

the most important <strong>of</strong> all, namely infanticide,<br />

especially <strong>of</strong> female infants, and the habit<br />

<strong>of</strong> procuring abortion. <strong>The</strong>se practices now prevail<br />

in many quarters <strong>of</strong> the world; and infanticide<br />

seems formerly to have prevailed, as Mr.<br />

M'Lennan (61. 'Primitive Marriage,' 1865.) has<br />

shewn, on a still more extensive scale. <strong>The</strong>se<br />

practices appear to have originated in savages<br />

recognising the difficulty, or rather the impossibility<br />

<strong>of</strong> supporting all the infants that are<br />

born. Licentiousness may also be added to the<br />

foregoing checks; but this does not follow from<br />

failing means <strong>of</strong> subsistence; though there is<br />

reason to believe that in some cases (as in Ja-

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