154 
SEXUAL SELECTION : BIRDS. 
pAl * 1 
CHAPTEE XV. 
Bikds — continued. 
J 
Discussion why the males alone of some species, and both sei ^ jf 
other species, are brightly coloured — On sexually-limi^ m- 
heritaiice, as applied to various structures and to bri§ J 
coloured plumage — Nidification in relation to colour — b <lSi 
nuptial plumage during the winter. 
We hare in this chapter to consider, why with 
kinds of birds the female has not received the fil , 
ornaments as the male ; and wliy with many 
both sexes are equally, or almost equally, ornament^, 
In the following chapter we shall consider why in s ° J 
few rare cases the female is more conspicuously cob 1 ' 1 * 
than the male. t 
In my ‘ Origin of Species ’ 1 I briefly suggested 
the long tail of the peacock would be inconvenient ** ■, 
the conspicuous black colour of the male capeu' 3 ', , 
dangerous, to the female during the period of incub^ f , 
and consequently that the transmission of these eJ 19 ^, 
teis liom the male to the female offspring had ^ < 
checked through natural selectiou. I still think 
this may have occurred in some few instances : hut 
>00 
matme reflection on all the facts which I have 
able to collect, I am now inclined to belie'® 
when the sexes differ, the successive variations ™ 
generally been from the first limited in their tranf ,, 
sion to the same sex in which they first appeared. 
my remarks appeared, the subject of sexual coloi' at ‘ 
1 Fourth edition, 1SGG, p. 241. 
