€hap. XIY. 
PREFERENCE BY THE FEMALE* 
123 
taste for the beautiful both in colour and sound. It 
is certain that the females occasionally exhibit, from 
unknown causes, the strongest antipathies and prefer- 
ences for particular males. When the sexes differ in 
colour or in other ornaments, the males with rare ex- 
ceptions are the most highly decorated, either perma- 
nently or temporarily during the breeding-season. They 
sedulously display their various ornaments, exert their 
voices, and perform strange antics in the presence of the 
females. Even well-armed males, who, it might have 
been thought, would have altogether depended for 
success on the law of battle, are in most cases highly 
ornamented; and their ornaments have been acquired 
at the expense of some loss of power. In other cases 
ornaments have been acquired, at the cost of increased 
risk from birds and beasts of prey. With various spe- 
cies many individuals of both sexes congregate at the 
same spot, and their courtship is a prolonged affair. 
There is even reason to suspect that the males and 
females within the same district do not always succeed 
in pleasing each other and pairing. 
What then are we to conclude from these facts and 
considerations ? Does the male parade his charms with 
so much pomp and rivalry for no purpose ? Are we not 
justified in believing that the female exerts a choice, 
and that she receives the addresses of the male who 
pleases her most? It is not probable that she con- 
sciously deliberates; but she is most excited or at- 
tracted by the most beautiful, or melodious, or gal- 
lant males. Nor need it be supposed that the female 
studies each stripe or spot of colour; that the peahen, 
for instance, admires each detail in the gorgeous train of 
the peacock — she is probably struck only by the general 
effect. Nevertheless after hearing how" carefully the 
male Argus pheasant displays his elegant primary 
