Chap. VIII. 
SEXUAL SELECTION. 
305 
to 59,650, consisting of 29,478 males and 30,172 females, or as 
97*7 to 100. So tliat with sheep at the age of castration the females 
are certainly in excess of the males ; but whether this would hold 
good at birth is doubtful, owing to the greater liability in the males 
to early death. 41 
Of Cattle I have received returns from nine gentlemen of 982 
births, too few to be trusted ; these consisted of 477 bull-calves and 
505 cow-calves ; i.e. in the proportion of 94*4 males to 100 females. 
The Rev. W. D. Fox informs me that in 1867 out of 34 calves born 
on a farm in Derbyshire only one was a bull. Mr. Harrison Weir 
writes to me that he has enquired from several breeders of Pigs , and 
most of them estimate the male to the female births as about 
7 to 6. This same gentleman has bred Babbits for many years, 
and has noticed that a far greater number of bucks are produced 
than does. 
Of mammalia in a state of nature I have been able to learn very 
little. In regard to the common rat, I have received conflicting 
statements. Mr. R. Elliot of Laighwood, informs me that a rat- 
catcher assured him that he had always found the males in 
great excess, even with the young in the nest. In consequence 
of this, Mr. Elliot himself subsequently examined some hundred 
old ones, and found the statement true. Mr. F. Buckland has 
bred a large number of white rats, and he also believes that the 
males greatly exceed the females. In regard to Moles, it is said 
that “ the males are much more numerous than the females ;” 42 
and as the catching of these animals is a special occupation, the 
statement may perhaps be trusted. Sir A. Smith, in describing 
an antelope of S. Africa 43 ( Kobus ellipsiprymnus ), remarks, that 
in the herds of this and other species, the males are few in number 
compared with the females : the natives believe that they are born 
in this proportion ; others believe that the younger males are ex- 
pelled from the herds, and Sir A. Smith says, that though he has 
himself never seen herds consisting of young males alone, others 
affirm that this does occur. It appears probable that the young 
males when expelled from the herd, would be likely to fall a prey 
to the many beasts of prey of the country. 
41 I am much indebted to Mr. Cupples for having procured for me the 
above returns from Scotland, as well as some of the following returns on 
cattle. Mr. R. Elliot, of Laighwood, first called my attention to the pre- 
mature deaths of the males, — -a statement subsequently confirmed by Mr. 
Aitchison and others. To this latter gentleman, and to Mr. Payan, I owe 
my thanks for the larger returns on sheep. 
42 Bell, 1 History of British Quadrupeds,’ p. 100. 
43 ‘ Illustrations of the Zoology of S. Africa,’ 1819, pi. 29. 
YOL. I. 
X 
