a nude. That the stimulus is real is seen
in the fact that among nude races flagrant immorality is far less common
than among the more clothed; the contrast between the Polynesians and
Melanesians, living as neighbours under similar conditions, is striking
evidence on this point. Later, when the novelty of clothing has spent
its force, the stimulus is supplied by nudity complete or partial.

One more point must be considered: there is the evidence of competent
observers to show that members of a tribe accustomed to nudity, when
made to assume clothing for the first time, exhibit as much confusion as
would a European compelled to strip in public. This fact, considered
together with what has been said above, compels the conclusion that
modesty is a feeling merely of acute self-consciousness due to appearing
unusual, and is the result of clothing rather than the cause. In the
words of Westermarck: "The facts appear to prove that the feeling of
shame, far from being the cause of man's covering his body, is, on the
contrary, a result of this custom; and that the covering, if not used as
a protection from the climate, owes its origin, at least in a great many
cases, to the desire of men and women to make themselves mutually
attractive."

Primitive adornment in its earliest stages may be divided into three
classes; first the moulding of the body itself to certain local
standards of beauty. In this category may be placed head-deformation,
which reached its extreme development among the Indians of North-West
America and the ancient Peruvians; foot-constriction as practised by the
Chinese; tooth-chipping among many African tribes; and waist-compression
common in Europe at the present day. Many forms of deformation, it may
be remarked in passing, emphasize some natural physical characteristic
of the people who practise them. Secondly, the application of extraneous
matter to the body, as painting and tattooing, and the raising of
ornamental scars often by the introduction of foreign matter into
flesh-wounds (this practice belongs partly to the first category also).
Thirdly, the suspension of foreign bodies from, or their attachment to,
convenient portions of the body. This category, by far the largest,
includes ear-, nose- and lip-ornaments, head-dresses, necklets, armlets,
wristlets, leglets, anklets, finger-and toe-rings and girdles. The last
are important, as it is from the waist-ornaments chiefly that what is
commonly consider