SEXUAL SELECTION 597 



transmitted to the offspring at the same season of the year; 

 that such variations were Inherited either by both sexes or 

 by the males alone, according to the form of inheritance 

 which prevailed. This appears more probable than that 

 the species in all cases originally tended to retain their 

 ornamental plumage during the winter; but were saved 

 from this through natural selection, resulting from the 

 inconvenience or danger thus caused. 



I have endeavored in this chapter to show that the 

 arguments are not trustworthy in favor of the view that 

 weapons, bright colors and various ornaments are now con- 

 fined to the males owing to the conversion, by natural 

 selection, of the equal transmission of characters to both 

 sexes, into transmission to the male sex alone. It is also 

 doubtful whether the colors of many female birds are due 

 to the preservation, for the sake of protection, of variations 

 which were from the first limited in their transmission to 

 the female sex. But it will be convenient to defer any 

 further discussion on this subject until 1 treat, in the fol- 

 lowing chapter, of the differences in plumage between the 

 young and old. 



Descent— Vol. n.- 



