See page in:
1859
1860
1861
1866
1869
1872

Compare with:
1859
1860
1861
1869
1872

their 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869
with the most elaborate care, and show off in the best manner their 1872

1 blocks not present in 1859 1860 1861 1866 1872; present in 1869
It may appear childish to attribute any effect to such apparently weak means:

It may appear childish to attribute any effect to such apparently weak means: I 1859 1860 1861 1866
I 1869 1872

to support this view; 1859 1860 1861 1866
details; 1869 1872

elegant carriage and beauty 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869
beauty and an elegant carriage 1872

I strongly suspect that 1859 1860 1861 1866
OMIT 1869 1872

be explained on the view of plumage having been chiefly modified by 1859 1860 1861 1866
be explained through the action of 1869
partly be explained through the action of 1872

character. All those who have attended to the subject, believe that there is the severest rivalry between the males of many species to
attract,
attract
by
singing,
singing
the females. The rock-thrush of Guiana, birds of
paradise,
Paradise,
and some others, congregate; and successive males display their gorgeous
plumage;
plumage
they likewise
and
perform strange antics before the females,
which
which,
standing by as spectators, at last choose the most attractive partner. Those who have closely attended to birds in confinement well know that they often take individual preferences and
dislikes;
dislikes:
thus Sir R. Heron has described how
a
one
pied peacock was eminently attractive to all his hen birds. It may appear childish to attribute any effect to such apparently weak means: I cannot here enter on the
details
details
necessary to support this view; but if man can in a short time give elegant carriage and beauty to his bantams, according to his standard of beauty, I can see no good reason to doubt that female birds, by selecting, during thousands of generations, the most melodious or beautiful males, according to their standard of beauty, might produce a marked effect. I strongly suspect that
Some
some
well-known
laws
laws,
with respect to the plumage of male and female birds, in comparison with the plumage of the young, can be explained on the view of plumage having been chiefly modified by sexual
selection
selection,
acting when the birds have come to the breeding age or during the breeding season; the modifications thus produced being inherited at corresponding ages or seasons, either by the males alone, or by the males and females; but I have not space here to enter on this subject.
Thus it is, as I believe, that when the males and females of any animal have the same general habits of life, but differ in structure, colour, or ornament, such differences have been mainly caused by sexual
selection;
selection:
selec- tion;