XII 



THE RECOGNITION OF SEX 



"LTOW do the males of the lower animals dis- 

 -"-tinguish the females of their own species from 

 all the rest of the animate creation? Obviously the 

 perpetuation of the race depends on the circum- 

 stance that the male is correctly guided in the choice 

 of a mate. A male beetle or bug will pass by with 

 indifference thousands of other varieties of insects, 

 but in the presence of a female of his own kind his 

 interest is keenly aroused. It almost goes without 

 saying that this power of discrimination is a matter 

 of instinct. It is easily demonstrable in most animals 

 that the element of experience is entirely unnecessary 

 for the proper solution of this important problem. 

 Apparently the male is guided by a sort of elective 

 affinity to the right object upon which to bestow his 

 attentions. What are the signs by which this object 

 is recognized? 



An important factor in the discrimination of sex 

 that naturally occurs to one is the sense of smell. 

 The lower animals, or at least many of them, are 

 influenced by odors to an extent which we with our 

 comparatively obtuse olfactories find it difficult to TVD ' 

 appreciate. The odors of most species are specific, TV^ 



219 



