156 
SEXUAL SELECTION : BIRDS. 
p+rJ 1 
latter of this colour. The result would generally V 
the production either of a mongrel piebald lot, or & 0l } 
probably the speedy and complete loss of the pale-b^ 
colour, for the primordial slaty tint would be ti' 3 °‘" 
nutted with prepotent force. Supposing, however, 
some pale-blue males and slaty females were prodfl®^ 
during each successive generation, and were 
crossed together ; then the slaty females would h**? 
if I may use the expression, much blue blood m 
veins, for their fathers, grandfathers, etc., will all h9 fC 
been blue birds. Under these circumstances it is 
ceivable (though I know of no distinct facts render^ 
it probable) tliat the slaty lemales might acquit > 
strong a latent tendency to pale-blueness, that t 1 ' 6 ' 
would not destroy this colour in their male offsp r ^| 
then- female offspring still inheriting the slaty tint. 1 
so, the desired end of making a breed with the 
sexes permanently different in colour might be ga^ e< ‘ 
The extreme importance, or rather necessity, of ^ 
desired character in the above case, namely, pale-b^’j^ 
ness, being present though in a latent state in ll ‘‘ 
emale, so that the male offspring should not be d e ^ 
riorated, will be best appreciated as follows : the m 3 ^ 
of Sccmmerring’s pheasant has a tail thirty-seven 
in length, whilst that of the female is only eight. ind ,eS J 
the tail of the male common plieasant is about 
inches, and that of the female twelve inches long. 
if the female Scemmerring pheasant with her short 
were crossed with the male common pheasant, 
can be no doubt that the male hybrid offspring 'V0« l1 
have a much longer tail tlian that of the pure offspring f 
the common pheasant. On the other hand, if the fen^ 1 ' 
common pheasant, with her tail nearly twice as long &s 
that of the female Scemmerring pheasant, were cm s6e 
with the male of the latter, the male hybrid offd >ri '^ 
