Chap. IV.] SEXUAL SELECTION. 109 



is, perhaps, severest between the males of polygamous 

 animals, and these seem oftenest provided with special 

 weapons. The males of carnivorous animals are already 

 well armed ; though to them and to others, special means 

 of defence may be given through means of sexual se- 

 lection, as the mane of the lion, and the hooked jaw to 

 the male salmon ; for the shield may be as important 

 for victory, as the sword or spear. 



Amongst birds, the contest is often of a more peaceful 

 character. All those who have attended to the subject, 

 believe that there is the severest rivalry between the 

 males of many species to attract, by singing, the females. 

 The rock- thrush of Guiana, birds of paradise, and some 

 others, congregate; and successive males display with 

 the most elaborate care, and show off in the best manner, 

 their gorgeous plumage ; they likewise perform strange 

 antics before the females, which, standing by as spec- 

 tators, at last choose the most attractive partner. Those 

 who have closely attended to birds in confinement well 

 know that they often take individual preferences and 

 dislikes : thus Sir E. Heron has described how a pied 

 peacock was eminently attractive to all his hen birds. 

 I cannot here enter on the necessary details ; but if man 

 can in a short time give beauty and an elegant carriage 

 to his bantams, according to his standard of beauty, I 

 can see no good reason to doubt that female birds, by 

 selecting, during thousands of generations, the most 

 melodious or beautiful males, according to their standard 

 of beauty, might produce a marked effect. Some well- 

 known laws, with respect to the plumage of male and 

 female birds, in comparison with the plumage of the 

 young, can partly be explained through the action of 

 sexual selection on variations occurring at different ages, 



