Itisperhapstruer，oratleastmoreevident，asregardssportsthanasregardstheotherexpressionsofpredatoryemulationalreadyspokenof，thatthetemperamentwhichinclinesmentothemisessentiallyaboyishtemperament。Theaddictiontosports，therefore，inapeculiardegreemarksanarresteddevelopmentoftheman’smoralnature。Thispeculiarboyishnessoftemperamentinsportingmenimmediatelybecomesapparentwhenattentionisdirectedtothelargeelementofmake-believethatispresentinallsportingactivity。Sportssharethischaracterofmake-believewiththegamesandexploitstowhichchildren，especiallyboys，arehabituallyinclined。Make-believedoesnotenterinthesameproportionintoallsports，butitispresentinaveryappreciabledegreeinall。Itisapparentlypresentinalargermeasureinsportsmanshipproperandinathleticconteststhaninsetgamesofskillofamoresedentarycharacter；
althoughthisrulemaynotbefoundtoapplywithanygreatuniformity。Itisnoticeable，forinstance，thatevenverymild-manneredandmatter-of-factmenwhogooutshootingareapttocarryanexcessofarmsandaccoutrementsinordertoimpressupontheirownimaginationtheseriousnessoftheirundertaking。
Thesehuntsmenarealsopronetoahistrionic，prancinggaitandtoanelaborateexaggerationofthemotions，whetherofstealthorofonslaught，involvedintheirdeedsofexploit。Similarlyinathleticsportsthereisalmostinvariablypresentagoodshareofrantandswaggerandostensiblemystification——featureswhichmarkthehistrionicnatureoftheseemployments。Inallthis，ofcourse，thereminderofboyishmake-believeisplainenough。Theslangofathletics，bytheway，isingreatpartmadeupofextremelysanguinarylocutionsborrowedfromtheterminologyofwarfare。Exceptwhereitisadoptedasanecessarymeansofsecretcommunication，theuseofaspecialslanginanyemploymentisprobablytobeacceptedasevidencethattheoccupationinquestionissubstantiallymake-believe。
Afurtherfeatureinwhichsportsdifferfromtheduelandsimilardisturbancesofthepeaceisthepeculiaritythattheyadmitofothermotivesbeingassignedforthembesidestheimpulsesofexploitandferocity。Thereisprobablylittleifanyothermotivepresentinanygivencase，butthefactthatotherreasonsforindulginginsportsarefrequentlyassignedgoestosaythatothergroundsaresometimespresentinasubsidiaryway。
Sportsmen——huntersandanglers——aremoreorlessinthehabitofassigningaloveofnature，theneedofrecreation，andthelike，astheincentivestotheirfavoritepastime。Thesemotivesarenodoubtfrequentlypresentandmakeupapartoftheattractivenessofthesportsman’slife；butthesecannotbethechiefincentives。Theseostensibleneedscouldbemorereadilyandfullysatisfiedwithouttheaccompanimentofasystematicefforttotakethelifeofthosecreaturesthatmakeupanessentialfeatureofthat“nature“thatisbelovedbythesportsman。Itis，indeed，themostnoticeableeffectofthesportsman’sactivitytokeepnatureinastateofchronicdesolationbykillingoffalllivingthingwhosedestructionhecancompass。