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
The acquisition of mates does not depend entirely upon strength and
victory in battle. Many male mammals have crests and tufts of hair,
and other marks of beauty, such as bright colouring, are often
conspicuous. These are used to attract the females. The incense of
odoriferous glands, which become specially functional during the
breeding season, are another frequent means of sexual attraction.[56]
Even many of the amatory duels are not really fights between rivals.
They are rather parades, or tournaments, used by the males as a means
of displaying their beauty and valour to the females. This is frequent
among the contests of birds, as, for instance, the grouse of Florida
(_Tetras cuspido_), which are said to assemble at night to fight
until morning with measured grace, and then to separate, having first
exchanged formal courtesies.[57]
It is among birds that the notes of joy in love break out with a
wonderful fascination. They are the most perfect of lovers; strength
is often quite set aside, and the eye and ear of the mate alone is
appealed to. The males (and also, in some cases, the females) use many
aesthetic appeals to stimulate passion, such as dancing, beauty of
plumage, and the art of showing it, as well as sweetness of song and
diverse love-calls. There are numerous examples of affectionate
partnerships between the sexes, in some cases lasting for life. The
female Illinois parrot, for instance, rarely survives the death of her
mate. Similarly the death of either sex of the _panurus_ is said to be
fatal to its companion. The affection of these birds is strong; they
always perch side by side, and when they fall asleep one of them,
usually the male, covers the other with its wing. The couples of the
golden woodpeckers and doves live in perfect unison. Brehm records the
case of a male woodpecker who, after the death of his mate, tapped day
and night with his beak to recall the absent one, and when at last
discouraged, he became silent and never recovered his gaiety.[58]
According to some estimates monogamy prevails among ninety per cent of
birds.[59] This is explained by the steady co-operation of both sexes
in forming the home and caring for the young, for it is surely the
working together which causes their love to outlast the excitement of
the procreative season. Sometimes we find this affection flowing out
into a wider altruism, extending beyond the family to the social
group; which again is surely at once the condition and result of these
beautiful and practical love-partnerships.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account