238 DARWINISM STATED BY DARWIN HIMSELF. 



short an affair as might be thought. The females are 

 most excited by, or prefer pairing with, the more orna- 

 mented 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 con- 

 firmed by actual observation. 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 attractive. Both sexes, therefore, of such early 

 pairs would, as above explained, have an advantage over 

 others in rearing offspring ; and this apparently has suf- 

 ficed, 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 attrac- 

 tions. 



In the converse and much rarer case, of the males se- 

 lecting 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 advantage in rearing offspring, more 

 especially if the male had the power to defend the female 

 during the pairing-season, as occurs with some of the 

 higher animals, or aided her in providing for the young. 

 The same principles would apply if each sex preferred 

 and selected certain individuals of the opposite sex ; sup- 

 posing that they selected not only the more attractive 

 but likewise the more vigorous individuals. 



