Chap. VIII. SEXUAL SELECTION. 305 



to 59,650, consisting of 29,478 males and 30,172 females, or as 

 97*7 to 100. So that with sheep at the age of castration the females 

 are certainly in excess of the males ; but whether this would hold 

 good at birth is doubtful, owing to the greater liability in the males 

 to early death. 41 



Of Cattle I have received returns from nine gentlemen of 982 

 births, too few to be trusted ; these consisted of 477 bull-calves and 

 505 cow-calves ; i.e. in the proportion of 944 males to 100 females. 

 The Rev. W. D. Fox informs me that in 1867 out of 34 calves born 

 on a farm in Derbyshire only one was a bull. Mr. Harrison Weir 

 writes to me that he has enquired from several breeders of Pigs, and 

 most of them estimate the male to the female births as about 

 7 to 6. This same gentleman has bred Babbits for many years, 

 and has noticed that a far greater number of bucks are produced 

 than does. 



Of mammalia in a state of nature I have been able to learn very 

 little. In regard to the common rat, I have received conflicting 

 statements. Mr. E. Elliot of Laighwood, informs me that a rat- 

 catcher assured him that he had always found the males in 

 great excess, even with the young in the nest. In consequence 

 of this, Mr. Elliot himself subsequently examined some hundred 

 old ones, and found the statement true. Mr. F. Buckland ha: 

 bred a large number of white rats, and he also believes that the 

 males greatly exceed the females. In regard to Moles, it is said 

 that " the males are much more numerous than the females ;" 42 

 and as the catching of these animals is a special occupation, the 

 statement may perhaps be trusted. Sir A. Smith, in describing 

 an antelope of S. Africa 43 (Kobus ettijosiprymnus), remarks, that 

 in the herds of this and other species, the males are few in number 

 compared with the females : the natives believe that they are born 

 in this proportion ; others believe that the younger males are ex- 

 pelled from the herds, and Sir A. Smith says, that though he has 

 himself never seen herds consisting of young males alone, others 

 affirm that this does occur. It appears probable that the young 

 males when expelled from the herd, would be likely to fall a prey 

 to the many beasts of prey of the country. 



s 



41 I am much indebted to Mr. Cupples for having procured for me the 

 above returns from Scotland, as well as some of the following returns on 

 cattle. Mr. R. Elliot, of Laighwood, first called my attention to the pre- 

 mature deaths of the males, — a statement subsequently confirmed by Mr. 

 Aitchison and others. To this latter gentleman, and to Mr. Payan, I owe 

 my thanks for the larger returns on sheep. 



42 Bell, < History .of British Quadrupeds,' p. 100. 



43 * Illustrations of the Zoology of S. Africa,' 1849, pi. 29. 



VOL. I. X 



