rilliant and equally protected? (440/2. See
Wallace in the "Westminster Review," July, 1867, page 37, on the
protection to the female insect afforded by its resemblance either to an
inanimate object or to another insect protected by its unpalatableness.
The cases are discussed in relation to the much greater importance (to
the species as a whole) of the preservation of the female insect with
her load of eggs than the male who may safely be sacrificed after
pairing. See Letter 189, note.) Although it may be most for the welfare
of the species that the female should be protected, yet it would be some
advantage, certainly no disadvantage, for the unfortunate male to enjoy
an equal immunity from danger. For my part, I should say that the female
alone had happened to vary in the right manner, and that the beneficial
variations had been transmitted to the same sex alone. Believing in
this, I can see no improbability (but from analogy of domestic animals
a strong probability) that variations leading to beauty must often have
occurred in the males alone, and been transmitted to that sex alone.
Thus I should account in many cases for the greater beauty of the male
over the female, without the need of the protective principle. I should
be grateful for an answer on the point.

LETTER 441. TO J. JENNER WEIR. Down, April 18th [1868].

You see that I have taken you at your word, and have not (owing to heaps
of stupid letters) earlier noticed your three last letters, which as
usual are rich in facts. Your letters make almost a little volume on my
table. I daresay you hardly knew yourself how much curious information
was lying in your mind till I began the severe pumping process. The case
of the starling married thrice in one day is capital, and beats the
case of the magpies of which one was shot seven times consecutively. A
gamekeeper here tells me that he has repeatedly shot one of a pair of
jays, and it has always been immediately replaced. I begin to think that
the pairing of birds must be as delicate and tedious an operation as
the pairing of young gentlemen and ladies. If I can convince myself that
there are habitually many unpaired birds, it will be a great aid to me
in sexual selection, about which I have lately had many troubles, and
am therefore rejoiced to hear in your last note that your faith keeps
staunch. That is a curious fact about the bullfinches all appearing to
listen to the German singer (441/1. See Letter 445, n