268 
sexual selection: mammals. 
part* 
stallion has a thicker and fuller mane than the mar®’ 
and I have made particular inquiries of two g' 1 ®® 
trainers and breeders who have had charge of m* 111 ' 
entire horses, and am assured that they “invariable 
“ endeavour to seize one another by the neck.” f 
does not, however, follow from the foregoing st®t® 
ments, that alien the hair on the neck serves a® 
defence, that it was originally developed for this p 1 ' 1 
pose, though this is probable in some cases, as in lb 11 
of the lion. I am informed by Mr. McNeill that th® 
long hairs on the throat of the stag ( Cervus ele^ :tS > 
serve as a great protection to him when hunted, 1°* 
the dogs generally endeavour to seize him by th® 
throat; but it is not probable that these hairs W® r0 
specially developed for this purpose; otherwise th e 
young and the females would, as we may feel assured 
have been equally protected. 
On Preference or Choice in Pairing, as shewn byei^ eT 
sex oj Quadrupeds, — Before describing, in the next chap 
ter, the differences between the sexes in voice, odo 11 ^ 
emitted, and ornamentation, it will be convenient h'- u 
to consider whether the sexes exert any choice in th® 11 
unions. Does the female prefer any particular 
either before or after the males- may have fought t0 
gethei for supremacy; or does the male, when notap 0 ^* 
gamist, select any particular female ? The general ho 
pression amongst breeders seems to be that the B 1 ® 6 
accepts any female; and this, owing to his eager* 1 ® 88 ’ 
is, in most cases, probably the truth. Whether th® 
female as a general rule indifferently accepts any m® 6 
is much more doubtful. I n the fourteenth chapt® 1 ’’ 
on Birds, a considerable body of direct and indir®® 1 
evidence was advanced, shewing that the female sele® 18 
her partner ; and it would be a strange anomaly 1 
