TRANSMUTABLE. 69 



hardest beaks, for all with weak beaks would 

 inevitably perish; or more delicate and more 

 easily-broken shells might be selected, the thick- 

 ness of the shell being known to vary like every 

 other structure." (Page 87.) 



On what Mr. Darwin calls "sexual selection," 

 in which he describes the various fights for 

 mastery in gaining the lady-loves of animals and 

 birds, I will only make one extract, which 

 criticises itself: "If a man can in a short 

 time give elegant carriage and beauty to his 

 bantams, according to his standard of beauty, I 

 can see no good reason to doubt that female 

 birds, by selecting during thousands of genera- 

 tions the most melodious or beautiful males, 

 according to their standard of beauty, might 

 produce a marked effect!" 



To illustrate these views of natural' selection 

 Mr. Darwin gives several imaginary cases. 1. 

 If certain wolves and deer inhabited the same 

 country, and the country were to alter, so that 

 the deer increased in number, and the other 

 animals upon which the wolves preyed by craft 

 or strength, diminished; then Mr. D. can see 

 no reason to doubt that the swiftest wolves 

 would have the best chance of surviving, and 

 so be preserved or selected. Or, 2. A cub 

 wolf might be born with an innate ^tendency to 

 pursue certain kinds of prey, just as 3. Some 

 of Mr. St. John's cats caught mice, others rats; 

 one winged game, another hares and rabbits; 

 while a third used to hunt the marshes and 



