Animals that Advertise 



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Animals like wild sheep, which go in bands 

 about a rough country, are extremely watchful 

 of each other, and need only to see one of their 

 number in an attitude of attention, with head 

 up and ears pricked forward, to become suspi- 

 cious and ready for flight. The white-tailed 

 deer and pronghorn set their dazzling white 

 scuts erect when their suspicions are aroused, 

 and thus signal (you can see it half a mile away 

 on the plains) to every member of the band to 

 be cautious. 



But the most numerous and striking of ani- 

 mal advertisements are those which, as has been 

 said, refer to mating. These are of two classes 

 the challenges and assembly calls of the males, 

 and the display of their qualities before the 

 females. 



Marriage among the higher animals is in 

 many cases a mere seizure of the available fe- 

 males by compulsion and a holding of them by 

 force, and here it is mainly polygamous. Among 

 those which are not polygamous, but are con- 

 tent with a single mate for the season, the choice 

 is made by the female from such males as com- 



$ 109 5 



