38 THE COURTSHIP OF ANIMALS 



example, are hunted down by their fellows and killed, 

 and birds of exotic species conspicuous by reason of their 

 unfamiliar appearance are treated in the same manner. 

 The sexual instincts have no part in this. 



It will have become obvious in the course of this 

 chapter that Sexual selection as a factor in shaping the 

 evolution of the human race has not played a very con- 

 spicuous part. Nevertheless, the balance of opinion to-day 

 is probably in favour of the view that the physical pecu- 

 liarities by which we distinguish one race from another 

 are, for the most part, due to the influence of this form of 

 selection. A more careful survey of the facts will 

 show that this view is untenable. And there is no more 

 striking demonstration thereof than that it has been 

 inconsequently applied to account for features in one 

 race, which in another are attributed to environment or 

 to Natural Selection. It may safely be asserted that 

 colour, the shape of the nose, the prominence of the jaws, 

 and the character of the hair, are no more the result of 

 " Sexual Selection " than stature, for example. These 

 are the manifestations of inherent growth forces, or 

 " tendencies," which owe their survival, and development, 

 to the influence of Natural selection. 



Sexual selection has brought about the dominance of 

 the male, by the struggle between males for mastery, 

 originally for females. It " selected " for survival, in 

 primitive races, those males with the thickest skulls 

 and the strongest physique ; it determined the survival 

 of the keenest witted and most aggressive and most 

 amorous males, and it eliminated those in which the latter 

 features were too active. It assured victory, in short, 

 to those only who possessed just those qualities on 

 which life or death depend in moments of conflict. In 



