The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex by Charles Darwin, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. Read this book online for free on HackerNoon!

Some new illustrations have been introduced, and four of the old drawings have been replaced by better ones, done from life by Mr. T.W. Wood.

All the bones in his skeleton can be compared with corresponding bones in a monkey, bat, or seal.

It is manifest that man is now subject to much variability.

My object in this chapter is to shew that there is no fundamental difference between man and the higher mammals in their mental faculties.

Man shews the same feeling in his strong love for the dog, which the dog returns with interest.

The subjects to be discussed in this chapter are of the highest interest, but are treated by me in an imperfect and fragmentary manner.

We are, however, here concerned only with sexual selection.

Throughout this great division of the animal kingdom, as far as I can discover, secondary sexual characters, such as we are here considering, never occur.

With insects of all kinds the males are commonly smaller than the females; and this difference can often be detected even in the larval state.

The bright colours of many butterflies and of some moths are specially arranged for display, so that they may be readily seen.

The male of the Cottus scorpius, or sea-scorpion, is slenderer and smaller than the female.

Almost all male birds are extremely pugnacious, using their beaks, wings, and legs for fighting together.

Birds possess acute powers of observation.

The truth and importance of the principle of inheritance at corresponding ages need not here be discussed, as enough has already been said on the subject.

I may here mention two very curious sexual peculiarities occurring in seals, because they have been supposed by some writers to affect the voice.

European women are perhaps the brighter coloured of the two sexes, as may be seen when both have been equally exposed.

If any change has thus been effected, it is almost certain that the different races would be differently modified, as each has its own standard of beauty.

The development of the moral qualities is a more interesting problem.