, 1888-11-15
The Better Half in All the
Forms of Life.
InyasiOns Of Women i'm New
Lines of Work.
atat,s nf tho remale--Their Future Des-
tiny-wnl They Conquer Man?
Interesting Incidents.


they are superior morally and inferior
mentally and physically. But there are
30 many kinds of moral, mental and ply
sical qualities that each of these, when
carefully analysed, is found to contain
some elements in which the other sex
stands higher. It is therefore difficult
problem, increasing in intricacy with more
thorough and candid investigation" The
author, however, proposes simply Ito
predicate of the female sex a particular
kind of superiority" Whatever may be
the condition of women in different grades
of society, and whatever may be the
STATUS OF THE FEMALE
OF the lower animals. he contends that "in
the economy of organic nature the female
sex is the primary and the male second
ary element" Scientific writer's, he finds.
have argued that the female type in all
animal life is generally smaller and
and have therefore inferred this to be the
natural condition. The correctness of
this inference has doubts wholly. Re-
ferring to the Darwinian theory, he argues
that the male animal has achieved its
greater size and strength wholly BY the
principle of selection. These qualities, he
says. shave not been acquired for the pur.
pose of protecting the dependent female;
they have been acquired entirely for the
purpose of combating rivals and winning
mates" He thinks that the predomi-
nance of the male brain in the human spe.
cies is also largely attributable to this
cause. 1.-The time came in the develop
nent of the race when brute force began
to give way to saRacity, and the first use
to which this growing power was put was
that of circumventing rivals for female
favor.
THE BRAIN GREW WITH EFFORT,
And like the other organs that are so
strangely developed through this cause. it
began to be more especially characteristic
of the sex. The weaker sex admired sue.
cess then as now, and the brigl witted be-
came the successful ones, while the dull
failed to transmit their dullness. There
was survival of the cunning" And on
this point he goes on to say
Nor do deny that these agencies of se-
lection are still at work. slowly, 1t is true,
but perhaps as rapidly as at any previous
period, producing physical notifications
in man. But it Is no longer simple female
selection of male qualities, as in the lower
animals; there is now going on an opposite
class of influences by which true male Sc
woman. and this had progressed so far at
the beginning of the historic period that
the ornamental characters had been, as 1t
were, transferred from the male to the fe-
male, and beauty. which in birds and
many animals. is the exclusive attribute OF
the males, had become the leading attri-
butte of the women of the higher races.
And while setting down this fact, let me
call attention to its great Significance as
pointing to future possibilities in woman
when men shall learn to select other 1uall-
ties in their companions than mere beau
ty for under the power of this compara-
lively modern male selection woman may
become whatever man shall desire her to
be. and the ideal woman, however high the
standard will become more and
MORE THE REAL WOMAN"
From this, Professor Ward goes on to
main argument Of his article, which is the
question whether the mental and physica
inferiority of the women is to be accepted
as something inherent III the nature of
things. The stories of Ammonium tribes
he does not regard as wholly fictitious.
Among animals and birds there are excep-
tions to the rule OF the larger and stronger
male, and, going further down the scale
among reptiles. amphIbians, and fishes, he
finds a decided leaning toward female
supremacy. However, he does not find
the data for a philosophical study of the
meaning of sex until he descends to the
very lowest types of life. Here he finds
whole races which are sexless, or, as he
understands it, wholly female. The
sexual parent must be contemplated as to
all intents and purposes MATERNAL Above
these are many cases in which the female
form constitutes the type of life, the insiR-
ni6cant male appearing to be
MERE AFTERTHoUGHT.
For instance, in the vegetable kingdom.
''the female hemp plant, crowd out the
male plants by overshadowing them as
soon as the former have been fertilized."
Among the invertebrate animals there are
many similar instances. 1.-The superior
lty of the queen bee over the drone is only
wtll.known illustrations of condition
which, with the usual variations and ex-
ceptions.is is common to great natural order
of insects. The only mosquito that the
unscientific world knows is the female
mosquito. The male mosquito il frail
and harmless little creature. that swarms
with the females in the curly season. and
pusses away when his work Ii done. There
are many insects of which the male posses
sea no organs of nutrition in the image
state, their duties during their epheineral
existence being confined to what the Ger
mans call the Miunedienst. Sucu is the
life of many male moths and butterflies.
] should. perhaps, apologize for citing the
familiar case Of spiders, in souie species OF
which the miniture lover is often seized
and devoured during his courtship ny the
gigantic object of his affections Some-
thing similar, learn. sometimes occurs
with the mantis, or praying insect.
Other instances alluded TO are the Sphmrul-
aria. in which the female is several thou.
sand times larger than the male, the bar