336 
SEXUAL SELECTION: MAN. 
Part II. 
Dr. Seemann observes, greater intensity of feeling in a 
single musical note than in pages of writing. Nearly the 
same emotions, but much weaker and less complex, are 
j)robably felt by birds when the male pours forth liis full 
volume of song, in rivalry with other males, for the sake 
of captivating the female. Love is still the commonest 
theme of our own songs. As Herbert Spencer remarks, 
music arouses dormant sentiments of which we had not 
conceived the possibility, and do not know the meaning ; 
or, as Eichter says, tells us of things we have not seen 
and shall not see.” Conversely, when vivid emotions 
are felt and expressed by the orator or even in common 
speech, musical cadences and rhythm are instinctively 
used. Monkeys also express strong feelings in different 
tones — anger and impatience by low, — fear and pain by 
high notes.^^ The sensations and ideas excited in us 
by music, or by the cadences of impassioned oratory, 
appear from their vagueness, yet depth, like mental re- 
versions to the emotions and thoughts of a long-past age. 
All these facts with respect to music become to a 
certain extent intelligible if we may assume that 
musical tones and rhythm were used by the half- 
Sec the very interesting discussion on the Origin and Function of 
Music, by Mr. Herbert Spencer, in his colleded ‘ Essays,’ 1858, p. 
359. Mr. Spencer comes to an exactly opposite conclusion to that at 
which I have arrived. He concludes that the cadences used in emo- 
tional speech afford the foundation from which music has been 
developed ; whilst I conclude that musical notes and rhythm were first 
acquired by the male or female progenitors of mankind for the sake of 
charmin g the opposite sex. Thus musical tones became firmly associated 
with some of the strongest passions an animal is capable of feeling, 
and are consequently used instinctively, or through association, when 
strong emotions are expressed in speech. Mr. Spencer does not offer 
any satisfactory explanation, nor can I, why high or deep notes should 
be expressive, both with man and the lower animals, of certain emotions. 
Mr. Spencer gives also an interesting discussion on the relations 
between poetry, recitative, and song. 
Rengger, ‘ Saugethiere von Paraguay,’ s. 49. 
