Protective Coloration in its relation to Mimicrif, etc. 561 



of so-called conspicuous butterflies (dead specimens), the 

 examples having been placed as far as possible without 

 an unfair attempt to favour my argument, except in a 

 few cases where the attempt is obvious. Surely they 

 speak eloquently. Could they be seen in their colour- 

 coalition, they would speak even more so. Any one care- 

 fully examining them will see that, in most cases, their 

 dark parts are not distinguishable from the background 

 [although the average person, unaccustomed to analyze his 

 sight, ivill, hy recognizing the huttcrfiy through its pattern, 

 fancy he sees every jjart). 



The very keynote of the zoologist's error is psycho- 

 logical. One sees only what is out of place ; — that which is 

 in 2'>i(f'CC' is harmonious and unnoticed. We know how 

 many of these concealed animals we sec, but we do not 

 dream of how many we 2Mss hy. 



By tracing back to so palpable an example as our 

 Sphinx-moth photograph, we see that the various com- 

 binations of sharp-edged markings with delicate blendings, 

 exactly resembling the combination of patterns made by 

 any sharp-edged fabric lying near a ground on which its 

 shadow falls, do represent such combinations of form ; so 

 that we must believe that so elaborate and delicately 

 complete a design would scarcely exist merely to identify 

 a species as unpalatable. We find on several Preees, as on 

 many Vanessiv, and Papiliones, VQYy highly developed 

 cases of the varied combinations of design worn by multi- 

 tudes of the most obviously protected birds, and other 

 animals ; — slight variations of representation either of near 

 objects casting a shadow on the background, as in the 

 cats, snakes, and moths mentioned, or of near objects 

 relieved against more distant, f^iinter ones, as in the 

 European Woodcock's wings, many female Pheasants, and 

 male Pheasants' tails, such as that of the Copper 

 Pheasant. Doubtless each species has some particular 

 headquarters, as it were, — some region which it fits best, — 

 and unless we chance to study it in this very region, and 

 at the most favourable season, we shall never witness the 

 full operation of its protective colour-scheme. Mr, Frank 

 M. Chapman has already pointed this out in a paper 

 entitled "On the Birds of the island of Trinidad," published 

 Feb. 1894, in the " Bulletin of the American Museum of 

 Natural History," a paper containing some very prophetic 

 glances into the future of protective coloration. 



