PROTECTION BY CONSriCUOUS COLOURINGS. I95 



It is here where the value of the adornment is shewn 

 Being brightly coloured and easily recognized they cannot 

 be mistaken ; and the shining blues and crimsons, and gay 

 reds and yellows serve as danger signals, warning colours ; 

 notifying by an easily recognized sign that the wearers are 

 inedible, thus affording them immunity from attack and 

 safeguarding them from destruction 



All observations shew that young animals have no 

 instinctive knowledge as to what is good for food and 

 what should be rejected, but that it is a matter which must 

 be learned either by instruction or by experience. There 

 is no intuitive acquaintance in the selection of edible 

 material. 



Professor Lloyd-Morgan in his work " Habit and 

 Instinct" records the results of a large number of experi- 

 ments which he made with the object of satisfying himself 

 upon this question by personal observation. He says 

 his experiments were conducted with the sole object of 

 ascertaining if there was any instinctive avoidance of 

 distasteful, or selection of edible, material, and of this he 

 " never found a single instance." " There can be no 

 " question " he says " that experience plays its part 

 " and practice makes perfect." " That which is outside 

 " experience can afford no data for the conscious guidance 

 "of future behaviour." Mr. Guy Marshall's recent experi- 

 ments with monkeys, birds and other animals in South 

 Africa all point to the same conclusion, as do those of 

 Professor Poulton and other observers. 



Nor is the lesson long in being learned. A nauseous 

 black and yellow banded larva, or a bitter, crimson winged 

 moth, a beetle which on being disturbed exudes a nasty 

 fluid, a yellow hornet or a stinging bee, are very quickly 

 recognized by a young bird which has once had experience 

 of its objectionable characteristic, and it is amusing to 

 watch the emotions of a young animal which is placed in 



