Chap. XVII.] PREFERENCES IN PAIRING. 257 



latter contingency has often been observed in Scotland 

 with female red-deer, as I have been informed by Sir Philip 

 Egerton.'" 



It is scarcely possible that much should be known 

 about female quadrupeds exerting in a state of nature any 

 choice in their marriage unions. The following very cu- 

 rious details on the courtship of one of the eared seals 

 Callorhimis ursinus, are given " on the authority of Cap- 

 tain Bryant, who had ample opportunities for observation. 

 He says : " Many of the females on their arrival at the isl- 

 and where they breed appear desirous of returning to some 

 particular male, and frequently climb the outlying rocks to 

 overlook the rookeries, calling out and listening as if for a 

 familiar voice. Then, changing to another place, they do 

 the same again .... As soon as a female reaches the shore, 

 the nearest male goes down to meet her, making mean- 

 while a noise like the clucking of a hen to her chickens. 

 He bows to her and coaxes her until he gets between her 

 and the water so that she cannot escape him. Then his man- 

 ner changes, and with a hai*sh growl he drives her to a 

 place in his harem. This continues until the lower row of 

 harems is nearly full. Then the males higher up select the 

 time when their more fortunate neighbors are off their 

 guard to steal their wives. This they do by taking them 

 in their mouths and lifting them over the heads of the 

 other females, and carefully placing them in their own 

 harem, carrying them as cats do their kittens. Those still 

 higher up pursue the same method until the whole space 



2' Mr. Boner in his excellent description of the habits of the red-deer 

 in Germany (' Forest Creatures,' 1861, p. 81) says, "While the stag is de- 

 fending his rights against one intruder, another invades the sanctuary of 

 his harem, and carries off trophy after trophy." Exactly the same thing 

 occurs with seals, see Mr. J. A. Allen, ibid. p. 100. 



*> Mr. J; A. Allen in ' Bull. Mas. Comp. Zoolog. of Cambridge, United 

 States,' vol. ii. No. 1, p. 99. 



