CHAPTER IX 



THE IMPORTANCE OF RECOGNITION-MARKS FOR 



EVOLUTION 



The great problem of the exact causes of the infinitely varied 

 colours and markings of the different species of the higher 

 animals, is now gradually receiving an adequate amount of 

 attention, and in consequence an almost complete solution. 

 In the Origin of Species Darwin dealt with only one 

 branch of the subject — coloration for concealment, and 

 that only incidentally ; but he at once accepted, and with 

 enthusiasm, Bates's explanation of the beautiful phenomena of 

 mimicry among insects, and also that of warning colours in 

 the inedible caterpillars, first suggested by myself. 



The whole subject, especially that of mimicry, is now so 

 largely developed as to require many volumes for its adequate 

 exposition ; and I have myself given a summary of the more 

 interesting facts in my Darwinism : I shall therefore deal 

 very briefly with it here, with the one exception of that form 

 of it which I have named " recognition marks." These, 

 though the last to be generally accepted, have received the 

 least attention ; but, after many years' consideration of 

 the whole problem of evolution I have come to the con- 

 clusion that, of all the causes of distinctive marking 

 (among the higher animals at all events), the need for 

 easy recognition under the varied conditions of their 

 existence is for most animals the most important. It 

 is, however, on account of their being in most cases abso- 

 lutely essential as a factor in the evolution of new species 

 that I here devote the larger part of this chapter to their 

 consideration. 



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