SEXUAL SELECTION 521 



he has him entirely in his power. Even supposing that 

 the bird is not killed, the loss of blood suffered by an un- 

 dubbed cock is much greater than that sustained by one 

 that has been trimmed." " Young turkey-cocks in fighting 

 always seize hold of each other's wattles; and I presume 

 that the old birds fight in the same manner. It may per- 

 haps be objected that the comb and wattles are not orna- 

 mental, and cannot be of service to the birds in this way; 

 but even to our eyes the beauty of the glossy black Spanish 

 cock is much enhanced by his white face and crimson comb; 

 and no one who has ever seen the splendid blue wattles of 

 the male Tragopan pheasant distended in courtship can 

 for a moment doubt that beauty is the object gained. 

 From the foregoing facts we clearly see that the plumes 

 and other ornaments of the males must be of the highest 

 importance to them; and we further see that beauty is even 

 sometimes more important than success in battle. 



9* Tegetmeier, "The Poultry Book," 1866, p. 139. 



