522 The Descent of Man. i^ast II. 



' endeavour to seize one another by the neck." It does notj 

 however, follow from the foregoing statements, that when 

 the hair on the nock serves as a defence, that it was originally 

 developed for this purpose, though this is probable in some eases, 

 Rs in that of the lion. I am informed by Mr. McNeill that the 

 long hairs on the throat of the stag (^Cerous elaphus) serve as a 

 great protection to him when hunted, for the dogs generally 

 endeavour to seize him by the throat ; but it is not probable that 

 these hairs were specially developed for this purpose ; otherwise 

 the young and the females would have been equally protected. 



Choice in Faiiiuy by either Sex nf Quadrupeds. — Before de- 

 scribing in the next chapter, the differences between the sexes in 

 voice, odours emitted, and ornaments, it will be convenient here 

 to consider whether the sexes exert any choice in their unions. 

 Does the female prefer any particular male, either before or 

 after the males may have fought together for supremacy; or 

 does the male, when not a polygamist, select any particular 

 female ? The general impression amongst breeders seems to be 

 that the male ai-cepts any female ; and this owing to his eager- 

 ness, is, in most cases, probably the truth. Whether the female 

 as a general rule indifferently accepts any male is much more 

 doubtful. In the fourteenth chapter, on Birds, a considerable 

 body of direct and indirect evidence was r^dv^nced, shewing 

 that the female selects her partner ; and it would be a strange 

 anomaly if female quadrupeds, which stand higher in the scale 

 and have higher mental powers, did not generally, or at least 

 often, exert some choice. The. female could in most cases 

 escape, if wooed by a male that did not please or excite her ; and 

 when pursued by several males, as commonly occurs, she would 

 often have the opportunity, whilst they were fighting together, 

 of escaping with some one male, or at least of temporarily pairing 

 with him. This latter contingency has often been observed in 

 Scotland with female red-deer, as I am informed by Sir Philip 

 Egerton and others." 



It is scarcely possible that much should be known about 

 female quadrupeds in a state of nature making any choice in 

 tiieir marriage unions. The following curious details on the 

 nourtship of one of the eared seals (Callorhinus ui sinus) are 



*• Mr. Boner, in his excellent '* sanctuary of his harem, and car- 

 deoijription of the habits of the red- " ries ofi' trophy after trophy." Ex- 

 deer in Germany (' Forest Creatures,' actly the same thing occurs with 



1861, p. 81) says, " while the stag seals, see Mr. J. A. Allen, ibid \i 



'• s defending his rights against one IdU. 

 •' ntrude)-, another invades the 



