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Show 238 SEXUAL SELECTION : BIRDS. PART H. loured for the sake of protection. In some instances the upper exposed surface of the plumage bas bee~ thuscoloured in both sexes, whilst the lower surface m the males alone bas Leen variously ornamented through sexual selection. Finally, from the facts given in these four chapters, we may conclude that weapons for b~ttle, organs for producing sound, ornaments of many lnnds, bright and conspicuous colours, hav~ ?enerally been acquired by the males through vana~wn a~d sexual selection, and have been transmitted m vanous ways according to the several laws of inberi~ance-the_ females and tho young being left comparatively but ltttle modified. 59 ~o I am greatly indebted to the kindness of Mr. Sclater for. l.laving looked over these four chapters on birds, ancl tho two fo:lowm.g ones on mammals. Dy this means I have been sav?d. from makmg mJ.slakcs o.bout the names of the species, and from g1vmg any facts which arc actuo.lly known to this distinguished naturali~t to be erroneous. Dut of course ho is not at all answerable for the accuracy of the sto.teroent1:1 quoted by me from various authorities. CIIAl'. XVII. SEXUAL SELECTION: 1\fAMl\fALS. CHAPTER XVII. SECO}lDARY SEXUAL CrrARACTERS oF MaMl\IALS. 'rue law of battle- Special weapons, confined to the males- Cause of absence of weapons in tho female- \Veapons common to both sexes, yet primarily acquired by the male- Other uses of such weapons- Their high importance- Greater size of the maleMeans of defence- On the preference shewn by either sex in the pairing of quadrupeds. VVITH mammals the male appears to win the female· much more through the law of battle than through tho display of his charms. The most timid. animals, not provided with any special weapons fm fighting, engage in desperate conflicts during the season of love. Two malo hares have been seen to fight together nntil one was killed; male moles often fight, and sometimes with fatal results; male squirrels "engage in frequent con" tests, and often wound each other severely;" as do male beavers, so that ''hardly a skin is without scars."1 I obserred tho same fact with the hides of the O'Uanacoes in Patagonia; and on one occasion several '~ere so absorbe~ ~n fighting that they fearlessly rushed close by me. ~1vmgstone speaks of the males of the map.y animals m Southern Africa as almost invariably shewing the scars received in former contests. The law of battle prevails with aquatic as with ter- 1 See Waterton's account of two hares fighting, 'Zoologist,' vol. i. 1843, p. 2ll. On moles, Dell, • lEst. of British Quadl'llpeds,' 1st edit. p. 100. On sqninels, Audubon and Bachman,' Vivipo.rons Quo.clrupcd:; of N. America,' 1846, p. 269. On beavers, Mr. A. H. Green, in' Journal (Jf Lin. Soc. Zoolog.' vol. x. 1869, p. 3G2. |