PHILOSOPHY OF LOVE 



mous proportions, absorbing the whole of the animal. 

 With only a slight further change one would see the 

 transformation of male into male organ completely ac- 

 complished, as one does, moreover, in the hydraria. 

 Become again an integral part of an organism from 

 which it had formerly separated to become an individual, 

 the male merely returns to its origins and clearly certifies 

 what they were. 



The bonellie, which is one of the most definite ex- 

 amples of dimorphism, is also an example of the singular 

 feminism which one normally finds in nature. For 

 feminism reigns there, especially among inferior species 

 and in insects. It is almost only among mammifers and 

 in certain groups of birds that the male is equal or 

 superior to the female. One would say that he has slowly 

 attained a first place not intended by nature for him. 

 It is probable that, relieved of all care, after the fecunda- 

 tion, he has had more leisure than the female wherein 

 to develop his powers. It is also possible, and more 

 probable, that these extremely diverse cases of resem- 

 blance and dissemblance are due to causes too numerous 

 and too varied for us to seize their logical sequence. The 

 facts are obvious: the male and the female differ nearly 

 always, and differ often profoundly. Many insects 

 vulgarly supposed to be different species are but males 

 and females of one race seeking each other for mating. 

 It needs some knowledge to recognize a pair of black- 

 birds, the male black all over, and the female brown- 

 backed with grey throat and russet belly. 



While hermaphrodism demands a perfect resemblance 

 of individuals save in cases like the cirripedes, where 

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