CHAPTEE V. 



PERVERSIONS OF THE NATURAL AFFECTIONS. 



THE various perversions of the natural affections that are so 

 common among the lower animals, as in man, form a very 

 interesting and natural group of the minor forms of moral 

 defect or disorder. 



Of these perversions of affection, the commonest and 

 most familiar is perversion of the maternal instinct, of 

 ordinary maternal love. It exhibits itself in the following 

 forms or degrees : 



1. Selfishness. 



2. Indifference to offspring. 



3. Active hatred or dislike. 



4. Cruelty. 



5. Neglect. 



6. Desertion. 



7. Murder of the young, equivalent to infanticide. 

 Affection for the young is usually predominant in the 



female of all animals, including man ; so that any want of 

 this natural love is more conspicuous in her than in the male. 

 There are, however, many exceptions to the steadiness or 

 constancy of maternal attachment. 



In illustration of mere maternal selfishness, Berkeley 

 states of certain wild ducks cooped up with their young, 

 that some c flew at, and beat themselves against the bars of 

 the coops, frightening and trampling to death their own 

 young.' They ' resisted detention even to forgetfulness of 

 their young.' But it is doubtful in such a case whether the 

 poor mothers were chargeable even with the crime of neglect 

 or carelessness of their young. In all probability they were 



