704 THE DESCENT OF MAN. 



manner, the offspring would slowly but surely become 

 modified in this same manner. I have not attempted to 

 conceal that, excepting when the males are more numerous 

 than the females, or when polygamy prevails, it is doubtful 

 how the more attractive males succeed in leaving a larger 

 number of offspring to inherit their superiority in orna- 

 ments or other charms than the less attractive males; but 

 I have shown that this would probably follow from the 

 females especially the more vigorous ones, which would 

 be the first to breed preferring not only the more attract- 

 ive but at the same time the more vigorous and victorious 

 males. 



Although we have some positive evidence that birds 

 appreciate bright and beautiful objects, as with the bower- 

 birds of Australia, and althougli they certainly appreciate 

 the power of song, yet I fully admit that it is astonishing 

 that the females of many birds and some mammals should 

 be endowed with sufficient taste to appreciate ornaments 

 which we have reason to attribute to sexual selection; and 

 this is even more astonishing in the case of reptiles, fish 

 and insects. But we really know little about the minds of 

 the lower animals. It cannot be supposed, for instance, that 

 male birds of paradise or peacocks should take such pains 

 in erecting, spreading and vibrating their beautiful plumes 

 before the females for no purpose. AVe should remember 

 the fact given on excellent authority in a former chapter 

 that several peahens, when debarred from an admired male, 

 remained widows during a whole season rather than pair 

 with another bird. 



Nevertheless, 1 know of no fact in natural history more 

 wonderful than that the female Argus pheasant should 

 appreciate the exquisite shading of the ball-and-socket 

 ornaments and the elegant patterns on the wing-feathers 

 of the male. He who thinks that the male was created as 

 he now exists must admit that the great plumes, which 

 prevent the wings from being used for flight and which 

 are displayed during courtship and at no other time in a 

 manner quite peculiar to this one species, were given to 

 him as an ornament. If so, he must likewise admit that 

 the female was created and endowed with the capacity of 

 appreciating such ornaments. I differ only in the convic- 

 tion that the male Argus pheasant acquired his beauty 

 gradually, through the preference of the females during 



