500 The Descent of Man. Pabt II, 



CHAPTER XVII. 

 Secondary Sexual Characters of Mammals. 



The law of battle — Special weapons, confined to the males — Cause o. 

 absence of weapons in the female — Weapons common to both sexes, yet 

 primarily acquired by the male — Other uses of such weapons — Their 

 high importance — Greater size of the male — Means of defence — On the 

 preference shewn by either sex in the pairing of quadrupeds. 



With mannnals the male appears to win the female much more 

 through the law of battle than through the display of his 

 charms. The most timid animals, not provided with any special 

 weapons for fighting, engage in desperate conflicts during the 

 season of love. Two male hares have been seen to fight together 

 until one was killed; male moles often fight, and sometimes 

 with fatal results ; male squirrels engage in frequent contests, 

 " and often wound each other severely ;" as do male beavers, so 

 that " hardly a skin is without scars." 1 I observed the same 

 fact with the hides of the guanacoes in Patagonia ; and on one 

 occasion several were so absorbed in fighting that they fearlessly 

 rushed close by me. Livingstone speaks of the males of the 

 many animals in Southern Africa as almost invariably shewing 

 the scars received in former contests. 



The law of battle prevails with aquatic as with terrestrial 

 mammals. It is notorious how desperately male seals fight, 

 both with their teeth and claws, during the breeding-season; 

 and their hides are likewise often covered with scars. Male 

 sperm-whales are very jealous at this season; and in their 

 battles " they often lock their jaws together, and turn on their 

 '•' sides and twist about ;" so that their lower jaws often become 

 distorted. 2 



about the names of the species, and and Bachman, ' Viviparous Quad- 



from stating anything as a fact rupeds of N. America,' 1846, p. 269. 



which is known to this distinguished On beavers, Mr. A. H. Green, in 



naturalist to be erroneous. But of 'Journal of Lin. Soc. Zoolog.' vol. x. 



course he is not at all answerable 1869, p. 362. 



for the accuracy of the statements 2 On the battles of seals, see Capt. 



quoted by me from various autho- C. Abbott in ' Proc. Zool.Soc' I860, 



rities. p. 191; also Mr. R. Brown, ibid 



1 See Walerton's account of two 1868, p. 436; also L. Lloyd, 'Game 



hares fignting, ' Zoologist, vol. i. Birds of Sweden,' 1867, p. 412 ; 



1843, p. 211. On moles, Bell, also Pennant. On the sperm-whale, 



' Hist, of British Quadrupeds,' 1st see Mr. J. H. Thompson, in ' Pro? 



edit. p. 100. On jr t uin els,*Audubon Zool. Soc' 1867, p. 246. 



