214 The Descent of Man. Part II. 



females ; the strongest, and with some species the Lest armed of 

 the males, drive away the weaker ; and the former would then 

 unite with the more vigorous and better-nourished females, be- 

 cause they are the first to breed. 8 Such vigorous pairs would 

 surely rear a larger number of offspring than the retarded 

 females, which would be compelled to unite with the conquered 

 and less powerful males, supposing the sexes to be numerically 

 equal ; and this is all that is wanted to add, in the course of 

 successive generations, to the size, strength and courage of the 

 males, or to improve their weapons. 



But in very many cases the males which conquer their rivals, 

 do not obtain possession of the females, independently of the 

 choice of the latter. The courtship of animals is by no means 

 so simple and short an affair as might be thought. The 

 females are most excited by, or prefer pairing with, the more 

 ornamented males, or those which are the best songsters, or play 

 the best antics ; but it is obviously probable that they would 

 at the same time prefer the more vigorous and lively males, and 

 this has in some cases been confirmed by actual observation. 9 

 Thus the more vigorous females, which are the first to breed, will 

 have the choice of many males ; and though they may not always 

 select the strongest or best armed, they will select those which 

 are vigorous and well armed, and in other respects the most at- 

 tractive. Both sexes, therefore, of such early pairs would as above 

 explained, have an advantage over others in rearing offspring ; and 

 this apparently has sufficed during a long course of generations 

 to add not only to the strength and fighting powers of the males, 

 but likewise to their various ornaments or other attractions. 



In the converse and much rarer case of the males selecting 

 particular females, it is plain that those which were the most 

 vigorous and had conquered others, would have the freest 

 choice ; and it is almost certain that they would select vigorous 

 as well as attractive females. Such pairs would have an advan- 



and Winter Birds of E. Florida,' to those female bees which are the 



p. 229) of the later broods, after the first to emerge from the pupa each 



accidental destruction of the first, year. See his remarkable essay, 



says, that these "are found to be 'Anwendungden Darwin'schen Lehrc 



** smaller and paler-coloured than auf Bienen,' ' Verh. d. V. Jahrg.' 



" those hatched earlier in the sea- xxix. p. 45. 



" son. In cases where several broods 9 With respect to poultry, I have 



" are reared each year, as a general received information, hereafter to 



" rule the birds of the earlier broods be given, to this effect. Even with 



" seem in all respects the most per- birds, such as pigeons, which pair 



M feet and vigorous." for life, the female, as I hear frcm 



8 Hermann Miller has come to Mr. Jenner Weir, will desert her 



thi& same ionclusion with respect mate if he is injured or grows weak 



