Chap. VIII. SEXUAL SELECTION. 313 



from eggs or caterpillars, I have received only the few following 

 crises : — 



Males, j Females. 



The Rev. J. Hellins 65 of Exeter reared, during 1868, 



imagos of 73 species, which consisted of .. .. 153 137 



Mr. Albert Jones of Eltham reared, during 1868, im- 

 agos of 9 species, which consisted of 159 126 



During 1869 he reared imagos from 4 species, consist- 

 ing of 114 112 



Mr. Buckler of Emsworth, Hants, during 1869, reared 



imagos from 74 species, consisting of 180 169 



Dr. Wallace of Colchester reared from one brood of 



Bombyx cynthia 52 48 



Dr. Wallace raised, from cocoons of Bombyx Pernyisent 



from China, during 1869 224 123 



Dr. Wallace raised, during 1868 and 1869, from two 



lots of cocoons of Bombyx yama-mai 52 46 



Total 934 761 



So that in these eight lots of cocoons and eggs, males were pro- 

 duced in excess. Taken together the proportion of males is as 

 122*7 to 100 females. But the numbers are hardly large enough 

 to be trustworthy. 



On the whole, from the above various sources of evidence, all 

 pointing to the same direction, 1 infer that with mo.-t species of 

 Lepidoptera, the males in the imago state generally exceed the 

 females in number, whatever the proportions may be at their first 

 emergence from the egg. 



\Y ith reference to the other Orders of insects, I have been able 

 to collect very little reliable information. With the stag-beetle 

 {Lucanus cervus) " the males appear to be much more numerous 

 " than the females ;" but when, as Cornelius remarked during 1867, 

 an unusual number of these b< etles appeared in one part of Ger- 

 many, the females appeared to exceed the males as six so ©ne. 

 With one of the Elateridas, the males are said to be much more 

 numerous than the females, and " two or three are often found 

 " united with one female , 66 so that here polyandry seems to prevail. 



65 This naturalist has been so kind as to send me some results from 

 former years, in which the females seemed to preponderate ; but so many 



of the figures were estimates, that I found it impossible to tabulate them. ^ 



66 Giinther's 'Record of Zoological Literature,' 1867, p. 260. On^th^' N 

 excess of female Lucanus, ibid. p. 250. On the males of Lucanus in Etftp,^*- 

 land, Westwood, ' Modern Class, of Insects,' vol. i. p. 187. On the SingonKi^ q° 

 ibid. p. 172. /> 



