248 THE STRUGGLE FOR THE LIFE OF OTHERS. 



in two, the one side for the male, the other for the 

 female. Classification naturally takes little note of 

 this distinction ; but it is fundamental. Unliken esses 

 between like things are more significant than unlike- 

 nesses of unlike things. And the unlikenesses be 

 tween male and female are never small, and almost 

 always great. Though the fundamental difference is 

 internal the external form varies ; size, color, and a 

 multitude of more or less striking secondary sexual 

 characteristics separate the one from the other. Be 

 sides this, and more important than all, the cycle of a 

 year s life is never the same for the male as for the 

 female ; they are destined from the beginning to pur- 

 sue different paths, to live for different ends. 



Now what does all this mean ? To say that the sex- 

 distinction is necessary to sustain the existence of life 

 in the world is no answer, since it is at least possible 

 that life could have been kept up without it. From 

 the facts of Parthenogenesis, illustrated in bees and 

 termites, it is now certain that Reproduction can be 

 effected without fertilization ; and the circumstance 

 that fertilization is nevertheless the rule, proves 

 this method of Reproduction, though not a neces 

 sity, to be in some way beneficial to life. It is 

 important to notice this absence of necessity for sex 

 having been created the absence of any known 

 necessity from the merely physiological stand-point. 

 Is it inconceivable that Nature should sometimes do 

 things with an ulterior object, an ethical one, for 

 instance ? To no one with any acquaintance with 

 Nature s ways will it be possible to conceive of such 

 a purpose as the sole purpose. In these early days 

 when sex was instituted it was a physical universe. 



