LIFE OF FLOWER 65 



the important bearing of such artificial variations on the 

 doctrine of the evolution of organic nature. ' ' Mimicry " 

 by animals of one group of those of another also formed 

 an important part of this introductory series of exhibit ; 

 as did likewise the colour-adaptation of animals to their 

 inorganic surroundings. This latter phenomenon is 

 specially illustrated by a series of animals (mammals, 

 birds and reptiles) from the Libyan desert, which are 

 set up amid rocks and sand from the same locality so as 

 to imitate as nearly as possible the natural conditions. 

 And this case, together with one of these to be noticed 

 immediately, affords an excellent example of Sir William's 

 painstaking efforts to make the exhibits in the museum 

 as realistic as possible, and also his influence and per- 

 suasive power in inducing friends or correspondents to 

 aid his endeavours. For in both these instances the 

 animals and their inanimate surroundings were collected 

 on the spot by generous and enthusiastic donors. 



The second instance of the adaptation of animals to 

 their surroundings is afforded by the two cases display- 

 ing respectively a summer and a winter scene in Norway, 

 with the birds and mammals in the one in their brown 

 dress, and in the other in their snow-white livery. 

 Since Sir William's death an Arctic fox, in the appro- 

 priate dress, had been added to each case, with a decided 

 improvement to the general effect. 



Another exhibit of the above nature is devoted to the 

 phenomenon of albinism and melanism among animals ; 

 the two cases in which the specimens are shown 

 containing an extraordinary number of species, varying 

 in size from leopards to mice, in which these remarkable 

 colour-phases are respectively displayed. The admission 



