The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex Volume I Part 25

[356] 'Novae species Quadrupedum e Glirium ordine,' 1778, p. 7.

On the transmission of colour by the horse, see 'Variation of Animals, &c. under Domestication,' vol. i. p. 21. Also vol. ii.

p. 71, for a general discussion on Inheritance as limited by s.e.x.

[357] Dr. Chapuis, 'Le Pigeon Voyageur Belge,' 1865, p. 87.

Boitard et Corbie, 'Les Pigeons de Voliere,' &c., 1824, p. 173.

[358] References are given in my 'Variation of Animals under Domestication,' vol. ii. p. 72.

[359] I am much obliged to Mr. Cupples for having made enquiries for me in regard to the Roebuck and Red Deer of Scotland from Mr. Robertson, the experienced head-forester to the Marquis of Breadalbane. In regard to Fallow-deer, I am obliged to Mr. Eyton and others for information. For the _Cervus alces_ of N. America, see 'Land and Water,' 1868, p.

221 and 254; and for the _C. Virginia.n.u.s_ and _strongyloceros_ of the same continent, see J. D. Caton, in 'Ottawa Acad. of Nat. Sc.' 1868, p. 13. For _Cervus Eldi_ of Pegu, see Lieut.

Beavan, 'Proc. Zoolog. Soc.' 1867, p. 762.

[360] _Antilocapra Americana._ Owen, 'Anatomy of Vertebrates,'

vol. iii. p. 627.

[361] I have been a.s.sured that the horns of the sheep in North Wales can always be felt, and are sometimes even an inch in length, at birth. With cattle Youatt says ('Cattle,' 1834, p.

277) that the prominence of the frontal bone penetrates the cutis at birth, and that the h.o.r.n.y matter is soon formed over it.

[362] I am greatly indebted to Prof. Victor Carus for having made inquiries for me, from the highest authorities, with respect to the merino sheep of Saxony. On the Guinea coast of Africa there is a breed of sheep in which, as with merinos, the rams alone bear horns; and Mr. Winwood Reade informs me that in the one case observed, a young ram born on Feb. 10th first showed horns on March 6th, so that in this instance the development of the horns occurred at a later period of life, conformably with our rule, than in the Welsh sheep, in which both s.e.xes are horned.

[363] In the common peac.o.c.k (_Pavo cristatus_) the male alone possesses spurs, whilst both s.e.xes of the Java peac.o.c.k (_P.

muticus_) offer the unusual case of being furnished with spurs.

Hence I fully expected that in the latter species they would have been developed earlier in life than in the common peac.o.c.k; but M. Hegt of Amsterdam informs me, that with young birds of the previous year, belonging to both species, compared on April 23rd, 1869, there was no difference in the development of the spurs. The spurs, however, were as yet represented merely by slight k.n.o.bs or elevations. I presume that I should have been informed if any difference in the rate of development had subsequently been observed.

[364] In some other species of the Duck Family the speculum in the two s.e.xes differs in a greater degree; but I have not been able to discover whether its full development occurs later in life in the males of such species, than in the male of the common duck, as ought to be the case according to our rule.

With the allied _Mergus cucullatus_ we have, however, a case of this kind: the two s.e.xes differ conspicuously in general plumage, and to a considerable degree in the speculum, which is pure white in the male and greyish-white in the female. Now the young males at first resemble, in all respects, the female, and have a greyish-white speculum, but this becomes pure white at an earlier age than that at which the adult male acquires his other more strongly-marked s.e.xual differences in plumage: see Audubon, 'Ornithological Biography,' vol. iii. 1835, p.

249-250.

[365] 'Das Ganze der Taubenzucht,' 1837, s. 21, 24. For the case of the streaked pigeons, see Dr. Chapuis, 'Le Pigeon Voyageur Belge.' 1865, p. 87.

[366] For full particulars and references on all these points respecting the several breeds of the Fowl, see 'Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication,' vol. i. p. 250, 256.

In regard to the higher animals, the s.e.xual differences which have arisen under domestication are described in the same work under the head of each species.

[367] 'Twenty-ninth Annual Report of the Registrar-General for 1866.' In this report (p. xii) a special decennial table is given.

[368] For Norway and Russia, see abstract of Prof. Faye's researches, in 'British and Foreign Medico-Chirurg. Review,'

April, 1867, p. 343, 345. For France, the 'Annuaire pour l'An 1867.' p. 213.

[369] In regard to the Jews, see M. Thury, 'La Loi de Production des s.e.xes,' 1863, p. 25.

[370] Babbage, 'Edinburgh Journal of Science,' 1829, vol. i. p.

88; also p. 90, on still-born children. On illegitimate children in England, see 'Report of Registrar-General for 1866,' p. xv.

[371] 'British and Foreign Medico-Chirurg. Review,' April, 1867, p. 343. Dr. Stark also remarks ('Tenth Annual Report of Births, Deaths, &c., in Scotland,' 1867, p. xxviii) that "These examples may suffice to shew that, at almost every stage of life, the males in Scotland have a greater liability to death and a higher death-rate than the females. The fact, however, of this peculiarity being most strongly developed at that infantile period of life when the dress, food, and general treatment of both s.e.xes are alike, seems to prove that the higher male death-rate is an impressed, natural, and const.i.tutional peculiarity due to s.e.x alone."

[372] With the savage Guaranys of Paraguay, according to the accurate Azara ('Voyages dans l'Amerique merid.' tom. ii. 1809, p. 60, 179), the women in proportion to the men are as 14 to 13.

[373] Leuckart in Wagner, 'Handworterbuch der Phys.' B. iv.

1853, s. 774.

[374] Anthropological Review, April, 1870, p. cviii.

[375] During the last eleven years a record has been kept of the number of mares which have proved barren or prematurely slipped their foals; and it deserves notice, as shewing how infertile these highly-nurtured and rather closely-interbred animals have become, that not far from one-third of the mares failed to produce living foals. Thus during 1866, 809 male colts and 816 female colts were born, and 743 mares failed to produce offspring. During 1867, 836 males and 902 females were born, and 794 mares failed.

[376] I am much indebted to Mr. Cupples for having procured for me the above returns from Scotland, as well as some of the following returns on cattle. Mr. R. Elliot, of Laighwood, first called my attention to the premature deaths of the males,-a statement subsequently confirmed by Mr. Aitchison and others.

To this latter gentleman, and to Mr. Payan, I owe my thanks for the larger returns on sheep.

[377] Bell, 'History of British Quadrupeds,' p. 100.

[378] 'Ill.u.s.trations of the Zoology of S. Africa,' 1849, pl.

29.

[379] Brehm ('Ill.u.s.t. Thierleben,' B. iv. s. 990) comes to the same conclusion.

[380] On the authority of L. Lloyd, 'Game Birds of Sweden,'

1867, p. 12, 132.

[381] 'Nat. Hist. of Selbourne,' letter xxix. edit. of 1825, vol. i. p. 139.

[382] Mr. Jenner Weir received similar information, on making enquiries during the following year. To shew the number of chaffinches caught, I may mention that in 1869 there was a match between two experts; and one man caught in a day 62, and another 40, male chaffinches. The greatest number ever caught by one man in a single day was 70.

[383] 'Ibis,' vol. ii. p. 260, as quoted in Gould's 'Trochilidae,' 1861, p. 52. For the foregoing proportions, I am indebted to Mr. Salvin for a table of his results.

[384] 'Ibis,' 1860, p. 137; and 1867, p. 369.

[385] 'Ibis,' 1862, p. 137.

[386] Leuckart quotes Bloch (Wagner, 'Handworterbuch der Phys.'

B. iv. 1853, s. 775), that with fish there are twice as many males as females.

[387] Quoted in the 'Farmer,' March 18, 1869, p. 369.

[388] 'The Stormontfield Piscicultural Experiments,' 1866, p.

23. The 'Field' newspaper, June 29th, 1867.

[389] 'Land and Water,' 1868, p. 41.

[390] Yarrell, 'Hist. British Fishes,' vol. i. 1836, p. 307; on the _Cyprinus carpio_, p. 331; on the _Tinca vulgaris_, p. 331; on the _Abramis brama_, p. 336. See, for the minnow (_Leuciscus phoxinus_), 'Loudon's Mag. of Nat. Hist.' vol. v. 1832, p. 682.

[391] Leuckart quotes Meinecke (Wagner, 'Handworterbuch der Phys.' B. iv. 1853, s. 775) that with b.u.t.terflies the males are three or four times as numerous as the females.

[392] 'The Naturalist on the Amazons,' vol. ii. 1863, p. 228, 347.

[393] Four of these cases are given by Mr. Trimen in his 'Rhopalocera Africae Australis.'

[394] Quoted by Trimen, 'Transact. Ent. Soc.' vol. v. part iv.

1866, p. 330.