SECONDARY SEXUAL CHARACTERS. 643 



of other men; he delights in competition, and this leads to 

 ambition which passes too easily into selfishness. These 

 latter qualities seem to be his natural and unfortunate 

 birthright. It is generally admitted that with woman the 

 powers of intuition, of rapid perception, and perhaps of 

 imitation, are more strongly marked than in man; but 

 some, at least, of these faculties are characteristic of the 

 lower races, and, therefore, of a past and lower state of 

 civilization. 



The chief distinction in the intellectual powers of the 

 two sexes is shown by man's attaining to a higher eminence, 

 in whatever he takes up, than can woman whether requir- 

 ing deep thought, reason, or imagination, or merely the 

 use of the senses and hands. If two lists were made of the 

 most eminent men and women in poetry, painting, sculpt- 

 ure, music (inclusive both of composition and perform- 

 ance), history, science and philosophy, with half a dozen 

 names under each subject, the two lists would not bear 

 comparison. We may also infer, from the law of the devia- 

 tion from averages, so well illustrated by Mr. Galton, in 

 his work on " Hereditary Genius," that if men are capable 

 of a decided pre-eminence over women in many subjects, 

 the average of mental power in man must be above that of 

 woman. 



Among the half-human progenitors of man, and among 

 savages, there have been struggles between the males during 

 many generations for the possession of the females. But 

 mere bodily strength and size would do little for victory, 

 unless associated with courage, perseverence and deter- 

 mined energy. With social animals the young males have 

 to pass through many a contest before they win a female, 

 and the older males have to retain their females by renewed 

 battles. They have, also, in the case of mankind, to 

 defend their females, as well as their young, from enemies 

 of all kinds, and to hunt for their joint subsistence. But 

 to avoid enemies or to attack them with success, to capture 

 wild animals, and to fashion weapons, requires the aid of 

 the higher mental faculties, namely, observation, reason, 

 invention, or imagination. These various faculties will 

 thus have been continually put to the test and selected 

 during manhood; they will, moreover, have been strength- 

 ened by use during this same period of life. Consequently, 

 in accordance with the orincip^ often alluded to, we 



