EBBD WARBLER 



the same purpose is unnecessary, or, to state it in another 

 form, the primary object of the law of territory to the 

 individual male is to enable it to secure a mate ; it is a 

 form of natural selection in so far as the stronger males 

 only, on the average, will produce offspring, but this form 

 of natural selection can in no way account directly for the 

 development of the colouring of the feathers, vocal powers, or 

 gorgeous plumes. The primary object of sexual selection to 

 the individual male is also to enable it, by reason of any 

 particular attractiveness, to secure a mate, and it thus 

 attempts to explain the development of those secondary 

 sexual characters. But there never could have arisen in 

 Nature, pari passu, two wholly dissimilar struggles, both 

 having the same purpose in view — namely, the attainment 

 of reproduction by the individual. This, as it seems to me, 

 is the position with regard to the second proposition of the 

 theory of sexual selection, and I fail to see how it can by 

 any means be possible for the one process to work with 

 advantage side by side with the other. And if it be asked 

 whether it might not be possible for there to be a further 

 selection by the females of those males that were victorious 

 in battle, I should reply as follows : Firstly, that such a 

 selection would presuppose a large preponderance of males, 

 which supposition would by no means be justified, especially 

 when we bear in mind the fact that even the assumption 

 that males are in the majority rests on no very secure 

 foundation ; secondly, that, inasmuch as ex hypothesi the 

 more demonstrative males must always be the stronger, a 

 law of battle to attain the same end would be superfluous ; 

 this requires further explanation. That the female prefers one 

 male before another on account of some special adornment is not 

 now regarded as probable by those who still hold to the theory 

 of sexual selection as affording the most reasonable interpreta- 

 tion of the facts, but that she is unconsciously excited by the one 

 that is the more demonstrative, and that the demonstration is in 

 proportion to the strength and consequently to the development 



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