COLORATION 65 



ever. With multitudes of animals no notice is taken of any 

 prey unless it moves, and when it moves all small detail is 

 lost. A lizard will pay no heed to the most brilliantly col- 

 ored insect when motionless and will seize anything that 

 moves, even when itself at the moment in jeopardy. I once 

 watched a lizard poised motionless by a large motionless 

 insect on a small tree; I moved my hand to capture the 

 lizard, which caused both the latter and the insect to shift 

 positions; whereupon like lightning the lizard seized the 

 insect, and with its mouth distended by its prey it dodged 

 round the tree trunk to avoid its foe. Any angler could 

 enlighten doubters as to the fact that no resemblance in 

 minute detail is needed in order to get fish to take a fly. 

 From time to time fly-fishers experiment with artificial flies 

 showing this minute resemblance, only to return to the 

 regulation flies, which certainly do not minutely resemble 

 any known insect. A trout which is eager after a "red 

 ibis" or "brown hackle" must possess a splendid visual 

 disregard of minute detail. 



What is true of wild fish in a state of nature is also true 

 of wild birds in a state of nature, as is proved by the experi- 

 ences of shore-shooters with decoys, both as regards water- 

 fowl and as regards bay-birds or shore-snipe. The ultra 

 protective-colorationists lay stress on the great importance 

 of the "ripple marks" on the flanks of ducks, and the exact 

 tint of the legs of waders, and other minute details, from 

 the standpoint of the creatures that look at them. Well, 

 the conduct of water-fowl and shore-birds and of birds of 

 prey toward all decoys shows that these minute details are of 

 no consequence whatever until the birds are so close that 

 they could by no possibility have either any concealing or 



