34 SEX-LORE 



during the period are quite harmless nay, beneficial. 

 The more water, the better. 



2. MEANS OF COURTSHIP. 



Once initiation has taken place, the young people 

 are considered of suitable age for marriage, and so 

 henceforth courting is permitted. As has been men- 

 tioned before, the courtship of human beings differs 

 from that of the animals in its conscious element. 

 The effectiveness of decoration and display as aids 

 to natural beauty is carefully considered. Once 

 again the difference from animals shows itself in the 

 fact that among human beings not only the male, 

 but also the female, puts on ornaments to charm the 

 other sex. It was the man, however, who first 

 decorated himself, and the woman followed. It 

 seems strange that for these decorations the human 

 being, savage and civilized, will rob the finery of the 

 animal and bird creation. Perhaps primitive man, 

 noticing the beauty of feathers and skins, thought 

 that these would help to increase his own beauty, and 

 so did not scruple to take ruthlessly what did not 

 belong to him. We sometimes find head-dresses of 

 an enormous height composed of the most gorgeous 

 feathers; sometimes girdles are made wholly of 

 feathers, as are also necklets. 



Primitive man is very childlike in taste. He, like 

 the child, loves bright glaring colours. He also, like 

 the child, loves to " show off " whenever possible; 

 so that, although one of the reasons for self-decora- 

 tion is the wish to find favour with the other sex, and 

 thus to acquire a mate, yet it is indulged in even 

 when it does not serve the purpose of courtship. 



