Hence, we may conclude that, if insects had not been developed on the face of the earth, our plants would not have been decked with beautiful flowers, but would have produced only such poor flowers as we see on our fir, oak, nut and ash trees, on grasses, spinach, docks and nettles, which are all fertilised through the agency of the wind.

A similar line of argument holds good with fruits; that a ripe strawberry or cherry is as pleasing to the eye as to the palate--that the gaily-coloured fruit of the spindle-wood tree and the scarlet berries of the holly are beautiful objects--will be admitted by everyone.

But this beauty serves merely as a guide to birds and beasts, in order that the fruit may be devoured and the matured seeds disseminated.

I infer that this is the case from having as yet found no exception to the rule that seeds are always thus disseminated when embedded within a fruit of any kind (that is within a fleshy or pulpy envelope), if it be coloured of any brilliant tint, or rendered conspicuous by being white or black.
On the other hand, I willingly admit that a great number of male animals, as all our most gorgeous birds, some fishes, reptiles, and mammals, and a host of magnificently coloured butterflies, have been rendered beautiful for beauty's sake.

But this has been effected through sexual selection, that is, by the more beautiful males having been continually preferred by the females, and not for the delight of man.