C HAP. VIII. 
SEXUAL SELECTION. 
305 
59,650, consisting of 29,478 males and 30,172 females, or as 
J 7'7 to 100. So that with sheep at the age of castration the females 
are certainly in excess of the males ; but whether tliis would hold 
S«od at birth is doubtful, owing to the greater liability in the males 
to early death. 41 
Of Cattle 1 have received returns from nine gentlemen of 982 
births, too few to bo trusted ; these consisted of 477 bull-calves and 
®05 cow-calves ; i.e. in the proportion of 94'4 males to 100 females. 
Tie Rev. W. 1). Fox informs me that in 1867 out of 34 calves born 
011 a farm in Derbyshire only one was a bull. Mr. Harrison Weir 
’" rites to me that he has enquired from several breeders of Figs, and 
ta ost of them estimate the male to the female births as about 
7 to 6. This same gentleman has bred Babbits for many years, 
a hd has noticed that a far greater number of bucks are produced 
^an does. 
Of mammalia in a state of nature I have been able to learn very 
mtle. In regard to the common rat, 1 have received conflicting 
sta tenients. Mr. II. Elliot of Laighwood, informs rnc that a rat- 
etcher assured him that he had always found the males in 
S r eat excess, even with the young in the nest. In consequence 
this, Mr. Elliot himself subsequently examined some hundred 
, 1(1 ones, and found the statement true. Mr. F. Buckland has 
r<i< l a large number of white rats, and he also believes that the 
''tales greatly exceed the females. In regard to Moles, it is said 
aa t “ the males are much more numerous than the females ;” 42 
aQ d as the catching of these animals is a special occupation, the 
sta tement may perhaps be trusted. Sir A. Smith, in describing 
antelope of S. Africa 1 * * 4 * * ( Kobus ellipsiprymnus), remarks, that 
*" the herds of this and other species, the males are few in number 
? 0t upared with the females : the natives believe that they are horn 
this proportion ; others believe that the younger males are ex- 
tolled from the herds, and Sir A. Smith says, that though he has 
''Vise If never seen herds consisting of young males alone, others 
''uiitii that this does occur. It appears probable that the young 
j lla les when expelled from the herd, would be likely to fall a prey 
0 'he many beasts of prey of the countiy. 
1 am much indebted to Mr. Cupples for having procured for me the 
,, , u ' e returns from Scotland, as well as some of the following returns on 
, n , , Mr. it. Elliot, of Laighwood, first called my attention to the pre- 
4i! k- 6 ^“tbs of the males,— a statement subsequently confirmed by Mr. 
ln ,;bi S °n and others. To this latter gentleman, and to Mr. Payan, I owe 
« t?°ks for the larger returns on sheep. 
, 3 “ell, ‘ History of British Quadrupeds,’ p. 100. 
* Illustrations of the Zoology of S. Africa,’ 1849, pi. 29. 
V OL. I. 
X 
