i6o The Ottawa Naturalist. [November 



Warning coloration, called sematic by Poulton, implies dis- 

 agreeable features disguised, it may be, under a very beautiful 

 exterior. The strikingly colored skunk can be mistaken for no other 

 mammal, the wasps, and similar offensive insects and many gor- 

 geous larvae; repel animals, which might by mistake attempt to 

 prey upon them, and be stung or poisoned. Many brilliant tropi- 

 cal fishes are said to be poisonous and unsuitable for food. Their 

 coloration, as Mr. A. R. Wallace expresses it, is "an outward sign " 

 of their non-edibility. 



Recognition colors no doubt aid animals to readily detect their 

 own kind The white tail of the rabbit is believed to direct the 

 young to follow their parents to safety when danger looms. 



Mimicry involves not only protective colors, but also protec- 

 tive shape or form. The lappet moth, the stick insect, the leaf 

 insect are familiar cases of color combined with striking form- 

 resemblance. The mimicry is perfect. 



It is clear that these types ofcolor otten overlap. Thus aesthetic 

 and sex coloration may combine in the same examples. It may 

 be that in some cases the coloration has as its end the destruction 

 of the individual in the interest of the tribe. Thus the brilliant 

 color of the male sockeye must attract the attention of bears, fish- 

 hawks and other enemies. As a rule the number of males 

 is excessive, their reduction is a benefit, hence they not only fight 

 most fiercely and thus perish, but are exposed to numberless 

 dangers by reason of their striking colors. 



A vast series of examples of animal colors, must at present 

 be classed as indifferent. Like the bright tints of marble or 

 agate, or the colors of the diamond, they seem to serve no purpose. 

 The gorgeously tinted Nemerteans living in similar surroundings 

 are of the most various hues. The rose pink of the Arctic Pterpods 

 serves no apparent end, lor they are most tempting food for many 

 animals. I have found Copepods of a rich emerald color, while 

 others are reddish or brown. The solitary frog has a rich topaz 

 eye, the young Coitus shows a St. Andrew's cross over its 

 iris, and all these instances are difficult to explain. The palate of 

 the orang outan is black, while that of the chimpanzee is bright 





