Various Opinions on Heredity, 105 



ill the organism of tlie other is proved by countless well- 

 known illustrations, and it seems, at first sight, to afford 

 evidence of the dual persorility of each animal. 



The fact in itself is so interestins; that, while I believe 

 in the possibility of a much simpler and more satisfac- 

 tory explanation, it will not be out of place to devote a 

 little space to the subject. 



*'In every female all the secondary male characters, 

 and in every male all the secondary female characters, 

 apparently exist in a latent state, ready to be evolved 

 under certain conditions" (Darwin, Variation, Vol. ii. 

 p. 68). 



A perfect beard often begins to grow upon the face of 

 a woman after the power of reproduction is lost by age 

 or disease. Such women are often alluded to by Roman 

 authors un^er the name of ^' viragines," and Hippocrates 

 {De Morb. Vulg., Lib, vi, 55-56) has left us the descrip- 

 tion of two well-marked instances. 



Aristotle {Hist. Animal, ix. cap. 36) gives an account 

 of a hen which had ceased laying, and assumed the 

 characteristics of the male bird, and similar change in 

 female birds has been recorded by many writers. It has 

 been observed in the hen, common pheasant, golden, 

 pheasant, silver pheasant, turke}^ pea-hen, partridge, 

 bustard, pelican^ various ducks, cuckoo, cotinga, chaf- 

 finch, bunting, and other birds. The change may be 

 produced by age, by disease of the ovaries, removal of 

 the ovaries, and even ( Yarrel, Pldl. Trans. 1827, ii. p. 

 268) by removal of part of the oviduct. 



Old hens which have stopped laying often acquire a 

 comb, wattles, spurs, the brightly-colored plumage and 

 long tail-feathers of the cock, assume the habits of the 

 male, and oven- learn to crow. The bad character, as 

 layers, of crowing hens, has even given rise to a proverb. 



