Page:Fielding - Sex and the Love Life.pdf/64

46 known to occur among human beings. So-called hermaphrodites, however—having the normal organs of one sex and some of the genitalia of the other sex in a rudimentary form—are not rare. They are usually females in whom the clitoris has assumed an extraordinary development, so as to resemble the male penis. In exceptional instances, this development is so large, and the power of erection in that organ is so complete, that it can be used in coitus with another female. While an imperfect connection can thus be held, it would not lead to conception, on account of the absence of semen, the male fertilizing element.

In the lower orders of animal life, however, perfect hermaphrodites are not an unusual phenomenon. Hermaphroditism, indeed, becomes more frequent in proportion as we descend the biological scale, until, in some of the very lowest species, there are none but hermaphrodites—each individual being both male and female, capable of impregnating itself and bringing forth young without assistance from another individual of the species.