Identifier: b20442221 (find matches)
Title: Sex (electronic resource)
Year: 1914 (1910s)
Authors: Geddes, Patrick, Sir, 1854-1932.
Subjects: Sex
Publisher: New York : H. Holt and company London : Williams and Norgate
Contributing Library: Wellcome Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Wellcome Library

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and huge numbers of sperms, which weinterpret as implying : (1) that simple organ-isms are naturally very prolific, and (2) thata survival bonus was persistently awarded tothose members of a species that were constitu-tionally most prolific. The constitutionallyprolific survived, while the constitutionallynon-prolific would tend to be eliminated. We would dwell for a moment upon thisnecessarily great productivity of germ-cellson the part of simple animals, because itseems to us that it became a widespreadconstitutional characteristic in many lines of THE EVOLUTION OF SEX 51 evolution, and lasted long after the necessityfor it was past. Perhaps even man has thusto pay for his long pedigree, for the over-production of both eggs and sperms, thoughrelatively moderated as compared with loweranimals, still remains a main difficulty ofindividual and of social life, albeit also apotent factor in their progress. Physical Fondness.—A further step isrepresented by those animals which show the
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Fig. 10.—Crested Newt—Triton or Molge cristatus. M, themale with a scolloped dorsal median fin; F, the femalewithout a crest. They differ greatly in coloration. beginnings of sex-behaviour. The note ofphysical fondness is sounded. In diverseforms there is a courtship of touch, oftenprolonged and not without its refinements.The male may play with the female, caressingher, it may be dancing before her. Some ofthe newts illustrate this grade of behaviour,the males touching, fondling, and embrac-ing the females, and doubtless thereby fanningthe fire of sexual excitement (see Fig 10). Thecase is of especial interest since there is no 52 SEX pairing in the strict sense. The male depositsthe sperms in minute packets or spermato-phores—which adhere to stones in the water,and the female passes these into her body. ^Esthetic Attraction.—The next step ismade when to the primary tactile courtshipthere is added a variety of aesthetic appeal.We may well say variety, for it is a longgamut th

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