Chap. XVII. 
PREFERENCES IN PAIRING. 
269 “ 
female quadrupeds, which stand higher in the scale of 
organisation and have higher mental powers, did not 
generally, or at least often, exert some choice. The 
female could in most cases escape, if wooed by a male 
that did not please or excite her ; and when pursued, 
a'B so incessantly occurs, by several males, she would 
often have the opportunity, whilst they were fighting 
together, of escaping with, or at least of temporarily 
pairing some one male. This latter contingency 
has often been observed in Scotland with female red- 
deer, as I have been informed by Sir Philip Egerton.^^ 
It is scarcely possible that much should be known 
about female quadrupeds exerting in a state of nature 
any choice in their marriage unions. The following 
very curious details on the courtship of one of the 
eared seals, Callorhinus ursinus, are given on the 
authority of Capt. Bryant, who had ample opportunities 
for observation. He says, ^^Many of the females on 
their arrival at the island where they breed appear 
desirous of returning to some particular male, and 
frequently climb the outlying rocks to overlook the 
rookeries, calling out and listening as if for a familiar 
voice. Then changing to another place they do the 
same again .... As soon as a female reaches the 
shore, the nearest male goes down to meet her, making 
meanwhile a noise like the clucking of a hen to her 
chickens. He bows to her and coaxes her until he 
gets between her and the water so that she cannot 
escape him. Then his manner changes, and with a 
Mr. Boner in his excellent description of the habits of the red- 
deer in Germany Q Forest Creatures,’ 1861, p. 81) says, “ while the 
“ stag is defending his rights against one intruder, another invades the 
sanctuary of his harem, and carries off trophy after trophy.” Exactly 
the same thing occurs with seals, see Mr. J. A. Allen, ibid. p. 100. 
Mr. J. A. Allen in ‘ Bull. Mus. Comp. Zoolog. of Cambridge, United 
States,’ vol. ii. No. 1, p. 99. 
