DARWIN AND DELUSION. 13 



feeling in a single musical note than in pages of 

 writing." On my honest word, I cordially agree in 

 this very natural opinion ! Then, what a field of 

 wild harmony Darwin opens before us ! The first 

 monkeys must have sung, nor ape nor monkey 

 ever could have " roarecr'' lovably and harmo- 

 niously, passionately and to perfection, seated on 

 the topmost bough which would bear their weight, 

 to a crowd of female listeners. 



There is, hanging in one of my rooms, a picture 

 of '' Apollo and the Nine," all in undress, and 

 among them only one chaperone— she, however, is 

 in possession of an immense shield. The hair of 

 Apollo is visibly on fire, he being, probably, in a 

 state of transition to the operatic ape ; but he evi- 

 dently does not agree with Darwin in the opinion 

 that male birds become gradually possessed of fine 

 plumage from the influence, during their moult, of 

 a wish to charm the female. Any such wish the 

 Apollo of the picture has evidently laid aside, for 

 he has utterly plucked himself of both feather and 

 finery, and is represented to us, in heraldic phrase^ 

 as '' a savage man proper," with his head on 

 fire. 



Having to treat of birds in another portion of 



