The Truth About WomanHartley, C. Gasquoine (Catherine Gasquoine)
History
The Truth About Woman
Hartley, C. Gasquoine (Catherine Gasquoine)
Women; Women -- History; Women -- Social and moral questions
A great step in advance is taken when we come to study the courtship
and sexual relationships of birds and mammals. There are many
examples, in particular among birds, of a beautiful and high standard
of love-morality. To the physical fondness of the sexes for one
another there is now added a wealth of what must be recognised as
psychical attraction, which finds its expression in many diverse ways.
We shall find all forms of sexual association, very similar to
marriage in the human species. There are temporary unions formed for
the purpose of procreation, after which the partners separate and
cease to care for one another. Polygamy is frequent, polyandry also
occurs, and there are many cases of absolute profligate promiscuity.
We shall, indeed, find the suggestion of all the sexual sins of
humanity, every form of coquetry, of love-battles, jealousy and the
like. There are as well many examples of monogamic unions lasting for
the lives of the partners. This is especially the case with birds.
Among the higher mammals polygamy is most common, but permanent unions
are formed, especially among the anthropoid apes. Thus strictly
monogamous marriages are frequent among gorillas and orang-utans, the
young sometimes remaining with their parents to the age of six years,
while any approach to loose behaviour on the part of the wife is
severely punished by the husband.[50] We find both the matriarchate
and patriarchate family; and we may observe the greatest difference in
the conduct of the parents in their care of offspring. Even a rapid
examination of these customs is worth while, for they cast forward
many suggestions on our sexual, domestic, and social relationships.
Let us take first the phenomena of courtship.
It is possible to give only the briefest outline of this fascinating
subject. We will begin with the law-of-battle. Courtship without
combat is rare among mammals; it is less common in many species of
birds. Special offensive and defensive weapons for use in these
love-fights are found; such are the larger canine teeth of many male
mammals, the antlers of stags, the tusks of elephants, the horns of
antelopes, goats, oxen and other animals, while among birds the spurs
of the cock and allied species are examples of sexual weapons.[51]
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