NO. 7 



PROTECTIVE ADAPTATIONS McATEE 



no interest to its enemies or prey respectively, or by harmonising with the 

 general effect of its surroundings ; the former is Special, the latter General 

 Resemblance, and both may be Protective or Aggressive. Among the most 

 interesting Special Aggressiz'c Resemblances are the cases of Alluring Colour- 

 ing, in which the animal, or some part of it, resembles an object which is 

 attractive to its prey.^ 



Protective and Aggressive Mimicry. — Mimicry is in reality a very important 

 section of Special Resemblance. The animal gains advantage by a superficial 

 resemblance to some other, and generally very different, species which is well 

 known and dreaded because of some unpleasant quality, such as a sting or an 

 offensive taste or smell, &c., or it may even be protected from the animal it 

 resembles : this is Protective Mimicry. When, however, the animal resembles 

 another so as to be able to injure the latter or some other form which accom- 

 panies it or is not afraid of it, the Mimicry is Aggressive.^ 



Warning Colours. — When an animal possesses an unpleasant attribute, it is 

 often to its advantage to advertise the fact as publicly as possible. In this way 

 it escapes a great deal of experimental " tasting." The conspicuous patterns 

 and strongly contrasted colours which serve as the signal of danger or inedibility 

 are known as Jl'arning Colours. In other cases such colours or markings enable 

 individuals of the same species easily to follow those in front to a place of safety, 

 or assist them in keeping together when safety depends upon numbers. It is these 

 Warning Colours which are nearly always the objects of Protective Mimicry.^ 



Following is a copy of Poiilton's table ' classifying color adaptations : 



I. Apatetic colours. — 

 Colours resembling some part of the 

 environment or the appearance of an- 

 other species. 



A. Cryptic col- 

 ours. — Protective 

 and Aggressive 

 Resemblances. 



I. Procryptic 

 colours. — Protec- 

 tive Resem- 

 blances. 



B. Pseudo- 

 scmatic colours. — 

 False warning and 

 signalling colours. 



2. Anticryptic 

 colours. — Ag- 

 gressive Resem- 

 blances. 



I. Pseudapose- 

 matic colours. — 

 Protective Mimi- 

 crv. 



2. Pseudepise- 

 matic colours. — 

 Aggressive Mimi- 

 cry and AlUirinf 

 Colouration. 



II. Scmatic HI. Epigamic 



colours. — Warning ! colours. — Colours 

 and signalling col- displayed in court- 

 nurs. ship. 



I. Aposcmatic 

 colours. — Warning 

 colours. 



2. Episematic 

 colours. — Recog- 

 nition Markinsrs. 



Having presented the foregoing outline of protective color and 

 other adaptations, references to them in succeeding pages will be made 

 without further explanation of the terms involved. 



* The colours of animals, pages 19-20, li 

 "Idem, p. 20. ^ Idem, p. 21. 



' Idem, p. 338. 



