MAMMALS, 601 



and prolonged bellowing, but during tlie actual conflict 

 they are silent. Animals of all kinds which habitually use 

 their voices utter various noises under any strong emotion, 

 as when enraged and preparing to fight ; but this may 

 merely be the result of nervous excitement, which leads to 

 the spasmodic contraction of almost all the muscles of the 

 body, as when a man grinds his teeth and clenches his fists 

 in rage or agony. No doubt stags challenge each other to 

 mortal combat by bellowing; but those with the more 

 powerful voices, unless at the same time the stronger, better- 

 armed and more courageous, would not gain any advantage 

 over their rivals. 



It is possible that the roaring of the lion may be of 

 some service to him by striking terror into his adversary; for 

 when enraged he likewise erects his mane and thus instinct- 

 ively tries to make himself appear as terrible as possible. 

 But it can hardly be supposed that the bellowing of the 

 stag, even if it be of service to him in this way, can have 

 been important enough to 'have led to the periodical 

 enlargement of the throat. Some writers suggest that the 

 bellowing serves as a call to the female; but the expe- 

 rienced observers above quoted inform me that female deer 

 do not search for the male, though the males search 

 eagerly for the females, as indeed might be expected from 

 what we know of the habits of other male quadrupeds. 

 The voice of the female, on the other hand, quickly brings 

 to her one or more stags,* as is well known to the hunters 

 who in wild countries imitate her cry. If we could believe 

 that the male had the power to excite or allure the female 

 by his voice, the periodical enlargement of his vocal organs 

 would be intelligible on the principle of sexual selection, 

 together with inheritance limited to the same sex and 

 season; but we have no evidence in favor of this view. 

 As the case stands, the loud voice of the stag during the 

 breeding-season does not seem to be of any special service 

 to him, either during his courtship or battles, or in any 

 other way. But may we not believe that the frequent use 

 of the voice, under the strong excitement of love, jealousy 

 and rage, continued during many generations, may at last 



* See, for instance, Maj. W. Ross King ("The Sportsman in 

 Canada," 1866, pp. 53, 131) on the habits of the moose and wild 

 reindeer. 



