Camouflage 185 



forms, the line that lies between their present suprem- 

 acy and total extinction is by no means a broad one. 

 Many mighty multitudes are holding their own in the 

 tremendous struggle merely by virtue of some appar- 

 ently insignificant feature in form or color. 



Such advantageous features as swiftness of move- 

 ment or unusual strength, of course, contribute largely 

 to an animal's ability to make a living; but even these, 

 in many instances, would be quite useless were it not 

 within the power of the animal to render its presence 

 unperceived when approaching its prey. In so doing it 

 seeks to identify itself with its surroundings by one of 

 three ways: by actual concealment, or hiding; by dis- 

 guising its appearance with a covering of materials 

 miscellaneous in origin — that is, by masking; or, as is 

 most commonly the case, it relies on its natural color 

 or markings or peculiar shape to keep it inconspicuous. 

 Thus it will be seen that the resorts of the killers in 

 deceiving their victims are as ingenious as they are 

 varied. Human enterprise Is hardly less distinguished. 

 When, in the recent war, we went into the business of 

 butchering each other, we took a hint from the animals, 

 and, as our borrowed methods needed a distinctive 

 name, the word "camouflage" came Into popular use. 

 Although science has not yet adopted this very useful 

 term, its employment here will not be out of place. 



Camouflage, then, may also serve the purpose of 

 protection as well as aggre§sion. It is clear, moreover, 

 that the capacit^^ of a creature to_ conceal itself from Its 

 enemies is of an importance not inferior to that of 

 making itself invisible to Its prey. 



Fishes are classic examples of natural camouflage. 



