296 THE PRINCIPLES OF [Part II. 



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

 very little. In regard to the common rat, I have received con- 

 flicting statements. Mr. K. 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 has 

 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; " 4a 

 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 South Africa 43 (Koous ellipsiprymnus), 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 expelled 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. 



BIRDS. 



With respect to the Fowl, I have received only one account, 

 namely, that out of 1,001 chickens of a highly-bred stock of Co- 

 chins, reared during eight years by Mr. Stretch, 487 proved males 

 and 514 females: i. e., as 94.7 to 100. In regard to domestic pig- 

 eons there is good evidence that the males are produced in excess, 

 or that their lives are longer; for these birds invariably pair, and 

 single males, as Mr. Tegetmeier informs me, can alway be pur- 

 chased cheaper than females. Usually the two birds reared from 

 the two eggs laid in the same nest consist of a male and female; 

 but Mr. Harrison Weir, who has been so large a breeder, says that 

 he has often bred two cocks from the same nest, and seldom two 

 hens; moreover, the hen is generally the weaker of the two, and 

 more liable to perish. 



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



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



