WHEATEARS, DABCHICKS 79 



and the latter a greater or lesser degree of pleasur- 

 able excitement raised by it with a choice in accord- 

 ance, which is sexual selection. And that the display 

 would come at last to be made intelligently, and 

 with a view to a proposed end — as in the case sup- 

 posed of the female wild duck (or other bird) diverting 

 attention from its young — I can also understand. In 

 both instances mere nervous movements due to a high 

 state of excitement would have been directed into a 

 certain channel and then perfected by the agency 

 either of natural or sexual selection. 



On this view the curiosity (passing insensibly into 

 interest and satisfaction) of the female bird would 

 have been directed, at first, not to the plumage but 

 to the frenzied actions — the antics — of the male, and 

 he, on his part, would have first consciously displayed 

 only these. From this to the more refined apprecia- 

 tion of colours and patterns may have been a very 

 gradual process, but one can understand the one 

 growing out of the other, for waving plumes and 

 fluttering wings would still be action, and action is 

 emphasised by colour. 



Where, however, such movements had not been 

 seized upon and controlled by the latter of these two 

 powers — i.e. sexual selection — (and there is no 

 necessity that they should be), we should have antics 

 not in the nature of sexual display properly speak- 

 ing, but which might yet bear a greater or less 

 resemblance to such. That this is, in fact, the case 

 has been pointed out by the opponents of sexual 

 selection, and often as if it were evidence against it 

 (though no one, unfortunately, can point to men as 

 a ground for disbelief in armies). Mr Hudson, for 



