132 THE STORY OF REPTILE LIFE. 



Among the Crocodiles fierce battles are appar- 

 ently commonly fought by the males for the pos- 

 session of some coveted female ; whilst displays 

 and caperings of a most ludicrous kind, accom- 

 panied by loud bello wings, intended for the eye and 

 ear of his mate alone, appear to take place after 

 the conqueror has driven off his rivals. Thus the 

 Alligator has been described as endeavouring to 

 ingratiate himself in the eyes of his chosen one 

 by splashing and roaring in the midst of a 

 lagoon, twirling round on the surface of the 

 water with head and tail lifted up, and the body 

 swollen out with air to bursting point. During 

 this time, too, it should be mentioned, these 

 creatures emit a strong odour of musk, which is 

 secreted by glands situated in the lower jaw. 



Among the lizards, as with the birds, the males 

 are often brilliantly coloured, whilst their mates 

 are comparatively dull. The difference between 

 the sexes, however, is by no means as frequent 

 as among the birds. There seems to be evidence 

 to show that this beauty is the result of sexual 

 selection. That is to say, the females choose as 

 mates those which are more brightly coloured than 

 their rivals, or at least those which combine 

 beauty of colour with aptitude for display. 

 Darwin, dealing with this subject, reminds us 

 that in the genus Sitana, the males alone are 

 furnished with a large throat pouch, which can 

 be folded up like a fan, and is coloured blue, 

 black, and red; but these splendid colours are 

 exhibited only during the pairing season. In 

 the female this pouch is wanting. Coloured 

 pouches of this kind are common among the 





