importance to the individual and is also of consequence to group welfare, society seems to think it suitable to leave mating to chance acquaintance. Indeed it makes a pretence of being scandalized at any active intelligent effort to extend and perfect sexual mating. If facilitating acquaintance between the sexes for the avowed purpose of promoting marriage is indecorous, perhaps at least social centers could be established for the purpose of promoting normal social life, and this would lead to wider acquaintance and indirectly increase the marriage rate.

Inferior ideals. Another important factor in sexual selection is the character of sex ideals, which should be an active force in determining proper standards of choice. In order to be effective these ideals, as has already been said, ought to embody characters having a survival value for the race.

If the traits preferred are not adapted to existing social needs, sexual selection will not be conducive to progress. In many ways sex ideals fall short of adequate standards of excellence. For example, sex ideals have a tendency to lag behind social needs, and preference is often given to qualities whose social significance has been greater in the past than now. Again, both sexes are too greatly influenced by minor ephemeral qualities which take their fancy, and they ignore the more essential and enduring traits. Another defect, so obvious as to require only passing mention, is that individuals for one reason or another actually fail to choose in accordance with their own ideals. An example of the first defect is the tendency shown by women to lay too great weight on physical qualities such as size and strength. Formerly such physical qualities were extremely important both for fighting enemies and for conquest of the environment and were therefore rightly idealized; but with modern methods of production, with competition in a dense population, intellectual and moral qualities are of much greater significance. Of course physical qualities, in so far as they indicate health, should always hold a prominent place in social ideals; but mere physical strength no longer has a survival value anywhere nearly equal to that of intellectual vigor. Another mistake in the choices made by women is that, as they are very susceptible to pleasing address and social polish, they often mistake such external amenities for the more funda

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mental qualities of personal culture and social adaptability. It is a matter of regret also that women are likely to accept evanescent social attainments for the more abiding moral qualities. True social and moral qualities are of great value, particularly in a complex social life, and they are suitable traits for idealization; but under existing conditions they are likely to be held subordinate to more volatile qualities that are more immediately captivating.

Men are noticeably at fault in laying too much stress on beauty. To be sure, beauty interpreted in a broad sense becomes a perfectly legitimate ground for choice because it indicates health and personal charm, both of which have survival value. With this ideal in mind, Mr. Knight Dunlap has made a strong plea for a more general recognition of beauty as the proper standard for choice, but he distinguishes carefully between beauty and mere prettiness. If beauty is used in a sense broad enough to include most of the virtues, naturally it becomes a reliable criterion of worth. Men are, however, influenced too much by mere prettiness of feature. Marriage would be more successful and enduring if greater stress were laid on domestic qualifications, and if the lasting value of general intelligence and efficiency were more commonly recognized.

A difficulty confronting sexual selection, which is practically unavoidable, arises out of the fact that the previously mentioned qualities which represent marriage fitness, namely, personal attractiveness, good heredity, and parental qualities, are not correlated and therefore are not always present in the same individual. This being the case, usually those qualities comprising sexual attractiveness are the ones which make the strongest appeal and determine choice. Sexual attractiveness itself is a complex of qualities difficult to evaluate, part of them possessing permanent worth and others having only slight social merit. When the problem is one of that subtle and elusive quality of sex connected with the rate of metabolism it is beyond analysis; yet it cannot be ignored. Where sex is imperfectly differentiated, the nearer an individual approaches the line of division repre

sented by inter-sexes, the less attractive to the opposite sex that individual is. And doubtless it is in accordance with the best interests of the race that the more sexless should be rejected. A deficiency in sex nature is not easily perceived by members of the same sex; and consequently they are continually mystified by the reactions of the opposite sex. The sexes will always be enigmatic to each other, because each has a sense perception lacking in the other.

Other causes of lack of attractiveness between the sexes are not fundamental, and they could and should be removed by better training. In many cases individuals, either from excessive diffidence or from failure to understand the opposite sex, make no effort to attract, or at least fail to do themselves justice. Such social deficiencies are likely to result in no marriage at all for the woman and in imperfect mating for the man. It is particularly important that girls should cultivate responsiveness and adaptability towards the opposite sex. A gain in mutual understanding results unconsciously from early association of the sexes even in childhood, and more could be gained by conscious endeavor to comprehend the characteristics of the opposite sex and learn the art of companionship. “ Study to please " the opposite sex, might well become a more popular course in society's curriculum. But there is danger in advocating such a course because it is often interpreted to mean “study to deceive” the opposite sex. Advances between the sexes resemble too often those between states. Preliminary overtures are conducted by a species of deceit, which in the one case as well as in the other might be dignified by the term diplomacy. And with the sexes as with states, when idealization is promoted by diplomacy it is likely to be followed by realization and the beginning of hostilities.

Another difficulty in improving sexual selection through perfection of ideals is that the traits which charm in youth are not always those which satisfy at maturity; and this is the reason why the early cords which bind turn later to discords which repel. A difficulty such as this cannot be obviated entirely; but the fact suggests that youthful choices and long engagements are not usually wise. Both sexes should remain free until near the

time of marriage. On the average choices made after the period of mental maturity, which differs greatly with different individuals, are likely to prove more permanently satisfactory than youthful choices.

Selection not always based on personal qualities. A minor obstacle to the perfection of sexual selection is to be found occasionally in the influences of wealth and social position which sometimes enter into choice. Occasionally inferior persons inherit wealth and are thereby rendered more attractive than they otherwise would be. Whenever anything external to the individual becomes the object of sexual choice in place of personal qualities, the beneficent effect of sexual selection is neutralized. Occasionally, though not frequently, wealth may even prove a hindrance instead of an aid to marriage, more particularly with women of high ideals, for position sometimes isolates them from men possessing acceptable personal qualities.

Religious celibacy. Finally sexual selection may be seriously thwarted by the existence of customs, or ideals, or even social conditions, opposed to marriage. Celibacy, whether voluntary or not, is racially detrimental whenever it attracts superior individuals; and as a matter of fact it has never been to inferiors that celibacy has had a strong appeal. The most common form of voluntary celibacy is that of religious orders, which for centuries have been prevalent both in Europe and in Asia. De Lapouge estimates that celibate religious orders must include at the present day not less than twenty millions of persons, two-thirds of whom he attributes to Asia. Now although these celibates come from all classes in the population and do not represent one element alone, it is probably incontestable that they represent the most desirable elements of each class. Physically they are not below the average of their class, and intellectually and morally they are certainly above it. Voluntary religious celibacy, therefore, must be included among the conditions opposed to ideal sexual selection for it excludes the superior instead of the inferior from the marriage relation. In fact its results are probably a little more specific than this statement would imply, for it eliminates not merely those superior in general, but those of a particular type of mind. The selective results are magnified because they represent the more idealistic elements in society. De Lapouge maintains that the sons of Protestant clergymen and Jewish Rabbis have risen to eminence to a much greater extent than the average of the population; and the supposition naturally follows that the Catholic populations have been deprived of an element of equal value through the celibacy of their clergy.

The religious advantages ascribed to the celibacy of the clergy need not be discussed here. They may or may not be considerable. A general evaluation of the total effects of celibacy is not intended. The racial effects only are pointed out; and, inasmuch as these are detrimental, advantages in other directions must be sufficiently extensive to offset the racial loss if the institution as a whole is to be commended.

Inequality in numbers of the sexes. Conditions similar to those resulting from voluntary celibacy appear whenever one sex is decidedly in the majority from any cause whatsoever. Prolonged war, reducing the proportion of young men through death and disability, and leaving an excess of women, subjects them to a much more intense action of sexual selection than it does the men. And, inasmuch as soldiers represent the superior element from each social class, many superior as well as inferior women will inevitably remain single.

Migrations result in an excess of females in the old countries and in an excess of males in the newer districts. And although to some extent the males may eventually obtain wives from their native lands, the unequal distribution of the sexes must decrease the total number of marriages. Furthermore the disadvantages of inequalities in the numbers of the sexes are exaggerated by the existence of narrow social groups with little free association. For example, in our eastern cities the relative numbers of the sexes in the total population is of little significance, because among some nationalities one sex preponderates and among others the other sex. And while intermarriages of nationalities occur they are not common enough to include the entire excess of either sex. Moreover it is probable that such intermarriages ordinarily attract the inferior rather than the superior representatives of each nationality.