194 ENGLISH MEN OF SCIENCE. [CHAP. 



which the phrenologists call adhesiveness, but 

 which -seems to defy analysis. It exists in very 

 different strength in different persons, and I 

 know not where to find a better illustration of 

 its power than in the ordinary case of a man 

 falling in love for the first time. Few lookers- 

 on will doubt that almost any young man is 

 capable of falling in love with any one of at 

 least one-third of the presentable young women 

 of his race and social position, if they happen 

 to see much of one another under favourable 

 circumstances and without other distraction ; 

 yet, although the innate taste is of so general 

 . a character, it becomes specialised at once by 

 the mere act of falling in love. Then the 

 image of one woman takes complete possession 

 of his thoughts ; she is for a considerable period 

 the only female who has attractions for him, 

 although he might previously have been equally 

 attracted by any one of tens of thousands of 

 her sex. 



A strong taste bearing remotely on science 

 may prove very helpful. The love of collecting, 

 which is a trifling tendency in itself, common to 



