om, he himself remaining present and apparently taking
no notice; the younger man was astonished, but accepted the
situation. In such a case, when the motives that led up to the
episode are obscure, we must not too hastily assume that
masochism or even mixoscopy is involved. For information on some
of the points mentioned above see, e.g., I. Bloch, _Beitraege zur
AEtiologie der Psychopathia Sexualis_, Teil I, pp. 200 _et seq._;
Teil II, pp. 195 et seq.

Wide, however, as is the appeal of beauty in sexual selection, it cannot
be said to cover by any means the whole of the visual field in its sexual
relationship. Beauty in the human species is, above all, a feminine
attribute, making its appeal to men. Even for women, as has already been
noted, beauty is still a feminine quality, which they usually admire, and
in cases of inversion worship with an ardor which equals, if it does not
surpass, that experienced by normal men. But the normal woman experiences
no corresponding cult for the beauty of man. The perfection of the body of
man is not behind that of woman in beauty, but the study of it only
appeals to the artist or the aesthetician; it arouses sexual enthusiasm
almost exclusively in the male sexual invert. Whatever may be the case
among animals or even among savages, in civilization the man is most
successful with women is not the most handsome man, and may be the
reverse of handsome.[169] The maiden, according to the old saying, who has
to choose between Adonis and Hercules, will turn to Hercules.

A correspondent writes: "Men are generally attracted in the first
instance by a woman's beauty, either of face or figure.
Frequently this is the highest form of love they are capable of.
Personally, my own love is always prompted by this. In the case
of my wife there was certainly a leaven of friendship and moral
sympathies but these alone would never have been translated into
love had she not been young and good-looking. Moreover, I have
felt intense passion for other women, in my relations with whom
the elements of moral or mental sympathy have not entered. And
always, as youth and beauty went, I believe I should transfer my
love to some one else.

"Now, in woman I fancy this element of beauty and youth does not
enter so much. I have questioned a large number of women--some
married, some unmarried, young and old ladies, shopgirls,