']e THE COURTSHIP OF ANIMALS 



Were it possible to secure the necessary data it would 

 probably be found that polygamy, and polyandry, are 

 determined solely by the numerical proportions of the 

 sexes : the excess of males or females being due neither 

 to " Natural " nor " Sexual " Selection, but to inherent 

 peculiarities of the germ-plasm tending to produce an 

 excess of males, or females, as the case may be. 



Finally, all the evidence goes to show that it is a 

 mistake to suppose that polygamy is due to the excessive 

 sexual avidness of the males, which impels them to first 

 essay the overthrow of all possible rivals, and then to 

 appropriate every female within their sphere of influence, 

 holding them by force. On the contrary, this plurality 

 of mates is thrust upon them. And this because the 

 females, impelled by "mate-hunger," attach themselves 

 to the nearest male within call : the size of the harem 

 depending on the number of available males. The 

 battles which are fought between rival males are no 

 more sanguinary than in the case of monogamous species. 

 This contention is well illustrated by the African Wydah- 

 birds {Vidua), which are markedly polygamous, though 

 they have no special weapons of offence. In districts 

 where males are numerous the harem will not exceed 

 eight, or ten, females ; where males are scarce this 

 number may be increased to fifty. In like manner the 

 varying number of hinds accompanying a stag are to be 

 regarded, not as an index of his prowess, but of the 

 scarcity or abundance of males in the neighbourhood. 



