Chap. XIII. BLUSHING. 337 



No doubt a slight blush adds to the beauty of a maid- 

 en's face; and the Circassian women who are capable 

 of blushing, invariably fetch a higher price in the serag- 

 lio of the Sultan than less susceptible women. 32 But 

 the firmest believer in the efficacy of sexual selection will 

 hardly suppose that blushing was acquired as a sexual 

 ornament. This view would also be opposed to what 

 has just been said about the dark-coloured races blush- 

 ing in an invisible manner. 



The hypothesis which appears to me the most prob- 

 able, though it may at first seem rash, is that attention 

 closely directed to any part of the body tends to inter- 

 fere with the ordinary and tonic contraction of the small 

 arteries of that part. These vessels, in consequence, be- 

 come at such times more or less relaxed, and are in- 

 stantly filled with arterial blood. This tendency will 

 have been much strengthened, if frequent attention has 

 been paid during many generations to the same part, 

 owing to nerve-force readily flowing along accustomed 

 channels, and by the power of inheritance. Whenever 

 we believe that others are depreciating or even consid- 

 ering our personal appearance, our attention is vividly 

 directed to the outer and visible parts of our bodies; 

 and of all such parts we are most sensitive about our 

 faces, as no doubt has been the case during many past 

 generations. Therefore, assuming for the moment that 

 the capillary vessels can be acted on by close attention, 

 those of the face will have become eminently susceptible. 

 Through the force of association, the same effects will 

 tend to follow whenever we think that others are con- 

 sidering or censuring our actions or character. 



As the basis of this theory rests on mental attention 

 having some power to influence the capillary circula- 



32 



On the authority of Lady Mary Wortley Montague; 

 see Burgess, ibid. p. 43. 



