1 4 The Descent of Man 



rally become, through the effects of sexual selection, larger 

 and stronger than the females ' ; and this the more as ' the 

 males suffer from their small size,' being 'liable to be de- 

 voured by the females of their own species ' (vol. ii. p. 7). 

 The cases cited by our author, with regard to fishes, do not 

 even tend to prove the existence of sexual selection, and the 

 same may be said as to the numerous details given by him 

 about reptiles and amphibians. Nay, rather the facts are 

 hostile to his views. Thus, he says himself, ' It is surprising 

 that frogs and toads should not have acquired more strongly- 

 marked sexual differences; for though cold-blooded, their 

 passions are strong ' (vol. ii. p. 26). But he cites a fact, than 

 which it would be difficult to find one less favourable to his 

 cause. He adds, ' Dr. Giinther informs me that he has several 

 times found an unfortunate female toad dead and smothered 

 from having been so closely embraced by three or four 

 males.' If female selection was difficult in the case of the 

 female salmon, it must be admitted to have been singularly 

 infelicitous to the female toad. 



We will now notice some facts brought forward by Mr. 

 Darwin with regard to beasts. And first, as to the existence 

 of choice on the part of the females, it may be noted that 

 ' Mr. Blenkiron, the greatest breeder of race-horses in the 

 world, says that stallions are so frequently capricious in their 

 choice, rejecting one mare and without any apparent cause 

 taking to another, that various artifices have to be habitually 

 used.' He has never known a mare to reject a horse ; though 

 this has occurred in Mr. Wright's stable. 



Some of the most marked sexual characters found 

 amongst mammals are those which exist in apes. These 

 are abundantly noticed by Mr. Darwin, but his treatment of 

 them seems to show his inability to bring them within the 

 scope of his theory. 



It is well known ' that certain apes are distinguished by 



