68 ORIGIN OF SOCIETY. CANTO 11. 



With rustling pinions meet, and swelling chests, 

 And seize with closing beaks their bleeding crests; 

 Rise on quick wing above the struggling foe, 

 And aim in air the death-devoting blow. 320 



There the hoarse stag his croaking rival scorns, 

 And butts and parries with his branching horns; 

 Contending Boars with tusk enamell'd strike, 

 And guard with shoulder-shield the blow oblique; 



There the hoarse stag, 1. 321. A great want of one part of the 

 animal world has consisted in the desire of the exclusive possession 

 of the females; and these have acquired weapons to combat each 

 other for this purpose, as the very thick shield-like horny skin on the 

 shoulder of the boar is a defence only against animals of his own 

 species, who strike obliquely upwards, nor are his tushes for other 

 purposes, except to defend himself, as he is not naturally a carnivo- 

 rous animal. So the horns of the stag are sharp to offend his adver- 

 sary, but are branched for the purpose of parrying or "receiving the 

 thrusts of horns similar to his own, and have therefore been formed 

 for the purpose of combating other stags for the exclusive possession 

 of the females, who are observed, like the ladies in the times of 

 chivalry, to attend the car of the victor. 



The birds, which do not carry food to their young, and do not 

 therefore marry, are armed with spurs for the purpose of fighting for 

 the exclusive possession of the females, as cocks and quails. It is 

 certain that these weapons are not provided for their defence against 

 other adversaries, because the females of these species are without 

 this armour; Zoonomia, Sect. XXXIX. 4, 8. 



