The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to SexDarwin, Charles
History
The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex
Darwin, Charles
Evolution (Biology); Human beings -- Origin; Sex differences; Sexual dimorphism (Animals); Sexual selection in animals
For the cases of the old male baboons attacking the dogs, see s. 79;
and with respect to the eagle, s. 56.) Social animals perform many
little services for each other: horses nibble, and cows lick each
other, on any spot which itches: monkeys search each other for external
parasites; and Brehm states that after a troop of the Cercopithecus
griseo-viridis has rushed through a thorny brake, each monkey stretches
itself on a branch, and another monkey sitting by, “conscientiously”
examines its fur, and extracts every thorn or burr.
Animals also render more important services to one another: thus wolves
and some other beasts of prey hunt in packs, and aid one another in
attacking their victims. Pelicans fish in concert. The Hamadryas
baboons turn over stones to find insects, etc.; and when they come to a
large one, as many as can stand round, turn it over together and share
the booty. Social animals mutually defend each other. Bull bisons in N.
America, when there is danger, drive the cows and calves into the
middle of the herd, whilst they defend the outside. I shall also in a
future chapter give an account of two young wild bulls at Chillingham
attacking an old one in concert, and of two stallions together trying
to drive away a third stallion from a troop of mares. In Abyssinia,
Brehm encountered a great troop of baboons who were crossing a valley:
some had already ascended the opposite mountain, and some were still in
the valley; the latter were attacked by the dogs, but the old males
immediately hurried down from the rocks, and with mouths widely opened,
roared so fearfully, that the dogs quickly drew back. They were again
encouraged to the attack; but by this time all the baboons had
reascended the heights, excepting a young one, about six months old,
who, loudly calling for aid, climbed on a block of rock, and was
surrounded. Now one of the largest males, a true hero, came down again
from the mountain, slowly went to the young one, coaxed him, and
triumphantly led him away—the dogs being too much astonished to make an
attack. I cannot resist giving another scene which was witnessed by
this same naturalist; an eagle seized a young Cercopithecus, which, by
clinging to a branch, was not at once carried off; it cried loudly for
assistance, upon which the other members of the troop, with much
uproar, rushed to the rescue, surrounded the eagle, and pulled out so
many feathers, that he no longer thought of his prey, but only how to
escape. This eagle, as Brehm remarks, assuredly would never again
attack a single monkey of a troop. (10. Mr. Belt gives the case of a
spider-monkey (Ateles) in Nicaragua, which was heard screaming for
nearly two hours in the forest, and was found with an eagle perched
close by it. The bird apparently feared to attack as long as it
remained face to face; and Mr. Belt believes, from what he has seen of
the habits of these monkeys, that they protect themselves from eagles
by keeping two or three together.
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