BIRDS 87 



the animals with the hardest skulls would win at first, 

 and an ever-increasing horn may have been developed 

 from the growths on the bones of the head which were 

 casually produced by the butting. However it may be 

 with these special cases, there is nothing to be said 

 against the general principle. 



We have, therefore, given a natural and satisfactory 

 explanation of part of the masculine characteristics. 

 What are we to do with the rest ? 



The black-cock becomes so intoxicated with its dance 

 on the branch of a tree that, though usually so timid, 

 it cannot perceive the approach of its enemies. This 

 dancing - instinct cannot be due to natural selection, it 

 is obvious, since it is injurious to the animal. But 

 sexual selection may at least have produced it in the 

 beginning, and then the second principle would come 

 into effect. The pairing of the cock has reached such 

 a pitch because the hen always gave the preference to 

 the best dancer. 



As we have rejected this theory, must we despair of 

 giving a scientific explanation of the love-dance. 



There are experts who will not admit a conscious 

 choice on the part of the females, but have sought to 

 replace it by unconscious preference ; in the sense that 

 each female would yield itself to the male by which it 

 was most stimulated. This stimulation would take the 

 form of an enchantment or hypnotism, whether it was 

 caused by the beguiling song or the dazzling splendour 

 of the male bird. The female would, in a sense, lose 

 consciousness from the enchantment, and its resistance 

 to the caresses of the male would be broken. 



