y of bestiality among peasants. A
highly important factor is their constant familiarity with animals. The
peasant lives with animals, tends them, learns to know all their
individual characters; he understands them far better than he understands
men and women; they are his constant companions, his friends. He knows,
moreover, the details of their sexual lives, he witnesses the often highly
impressive spectacle of their coupling. It is scarcely surprising that
peasants should sometimes regard animals as being not only as near to them
as their fellow human beings, but even nearer.

The significance of the factor of familiarity is indicated by the great
frequency of bestiality among shepherds, goatherds, and others whose
occupation is exclusively the care of animals. Mirabeau, in the eighteenth
century, stated, on the evidence of Basque priests, that all the shepherds
in the Pyrenees practice bestiality. It is apparently much the same in
Italy.[49] In South Italy and Sicily, especially, bestiality among
goatherds and peasants is said to be almost a national custom.[50] In the
extreme north of Europe, it is reported, the reindeer, in this respect,
takes the place of the goat.

The importance of the same factor is also shown by the fact that when
among women in civilization animal perversions appear, the animal is
nearly always a pet dog. Usually in these cases the animal is taught to
give gratification by _cunnilinctus_. In some cases, however, there is
really sexual intercourse between the animal and the woman.

Moll mentions that in a case of _cunnilinctus_ by a dog in
Germany there was a difficulty as to whether the matter should be
considered an unnatural offence or simply an offence against
decency; the lower court considered it in the former light, while
the higher court took the more merciful view. (Moll,
_Untersuchungen ueber die Libido Sexualis_, bd. i, p. 697.) In a
case reported by Pfaff and mentioned by Moll, a country girl was
accused of having sexual intercourse with a large dog. On
examination Pfaff found in the girl's thick pubic hair a loose
hair which under the microscope proved to belong to the dog.
(_Loc. cit._, p. 698.) In such a case it must be noted that while
this evidence may be held to show sexual contact with the dog, it
scarcely suffices to show sexual intercourse. This has, however,
undoubtedly occurred from time to time, even more or less