MASCULINE FEMINIZES 259 



The bearing of this theory on cases like that 

 of our masculine -feminine capercaillie is obvious 

 enough. These cases show that the secondary male 

 characters are undoubtedly transmitted to both 

 sexes, that they exist latent in the plain female 

 and may begin to develop any day. So long as 

 the creature remains a full female they remain 

 latent, but whenever her " femaleness," either by 

 accident, injury, or original sterility, becomes in- 

 complete, the latent begins to make itself patent. 

 There is experimental proof, however, that by 

 certain means not involving direct sex injury the 

 latent qualities can be stimulated to activity. Dr. 

 Archdall Reid mentions certain emulsions which, 

 when injected into hens, supply the necessary 

 stimulus, and cause them to develop the combs, 

 wattles, and warlike disposition of cocks. He 

 does not mention how their laying powers are 

 affected. The broad fact is that in nature, when 

 a female begins to assume the attributes of the 

 male, she has ceased to be a female in the complete 

 sense. 



