278 The Natural History of Selborne 



Thus far it is plain that the deprivation of masculine vigour puts 

 a stop to the growth of those parts or appendages that are looked 

 upon as its insignia. But the ingenious Mr. Lisle, in his book on 

 husbandry, carries it much farther ; for he says that the loss of those 

 insignia alone has sometimes a strange effect on the ability itself : 

 he had a boar so fierce and venereous, that, to prevent mischief, orders 

 were given for his tusks to be broken off. No sooner had the beast 

 suffered this injury than his powers forsook him, and he neglected 

 those females to whom before he was passionately attached, and from 

 whom no fences would restrain him. 1 



1 The question of correlation of organs and functions here touched upon is 

 one of those which received the greatest light from Darwin's investigations : see in 

 particular the chapters on Sexual Selection in " The Descent of Man." ED. 



