CHAP. X.] SEXUAL SELECTION. 329 



character&quot; (vol. ii. p. 226). The following, again, is far 

 too positive a statement : &quot; Other characters proper to 

 the males of the lower animals, such as bright colours and 

 various ornaments, have been acquired by the more attractive 

 males having been preferred by the females. There are, 

 however, exceptional cases, in which the males, instead of 

 having been selected, have leen the selectors &quot;(vol. ii. p. 371). 

 He also affirms (p. 191) : &quot;Hardly any fact in nature shows us 

 more clearly how subordinate in importance is the direct 

 action of the conditions of life, in comparison with the ac 

 cumulation through selection of indefinite variations, than 

 sexual differences of birds.&quot; Again, at p. 226 he says : &quot; Some 

 species which are manifestly coloured for the sake of protec 

 tion&quot; &quot;are likewise marked and shaded, according to our 

 standard of taste, with extreme elegance. In such cases we 

 may conclude that both natural and sexual selection have 

 acted conjointly for protection and ornament.&quot; As to 

 monkey tufts being acquired as ornaments, Mr. Darwin adds 

 (p. 286) : &quot; If this view is correct there can be little doubt that 

 they have been acquired, or at least modified, through sexual 

 selection.&quot; Lastly he says (p. 314) : &quot; When the colours are 

 diversified and strongly pronounced, when they are not de 

 veloped until near maturity, arid when they are lost after 

 emasculation, we can hardly avoid the conclusion that they 

 have been acquired through sexual selection.&quot; 



To this catalogue of expressions, both too reiterated and 

 too confident, may be added an enumeration of 

 the more or less gratuitous hypotheses introduced ^!Sa 

 to support the figment of &quot; sexual selection.&quot; Thus n 

 to account for the songs of birds in a state of widowhood 

 we have (vol. ii. p. 54), 1st, the hypothesis that &quot; the feed 

 ing of such birds in confinement disturbs the reproductive 

 functions.&quot; 2nd, &quot; Singing is one of the functions capable 

 of being so disturbed.&quot; To account for the loud voices 

 of many male birds we have, 3rd, &quot; the strong voices pro 

 duced by passion may be inherited.&quot; 4th (p. 154), we 

 have the hypothesis of sexual transmission of variations. 



