MIMICRY 41 



country appear gradually to modify their charac- 

 ter, and even their features, so as to resemble 

 their native associates. Mimicry, if protective, 

 may, it is claimed, have originated in useful 

 " sports." But it is not always protective ; and 

 of the curious resemblances which we find amongst 

 insects, few would deceive a sharp-sighted bird. 

 Mimicry appears, then, to be caused by an im- 

 pulse, not to be the result of chance resemblances 

 that have been stereotyped by the struggle for 

 life. Why should living creatures mimic some of 

 the peculiarities which they see about them and 

 not others ? We do not know. Children are 

 exceedingly imitative, but they select for imita- 

 tion sometimes one trait, at other times another. 

 One or two new species of flowers have been 

 known to arise and establish themselves, without 

 man's active interference, since the time when 

 botanical observation commenced. But their 

 distinctive peculiarities are of trifling importance, 

 and no evidence can be discovered of the move- 

 ment of evolution as an actually working pro- 

 cess unless we assume that the changes that have 

 occurred within historical times in the character 

 of some bacterial diseases, indicate that some new 

 species have sprung into existence amongst 

 microbes. The great development of the present 

 era of geology has been in the civilization of 

 mankind ; and we may fancy that Nature has 

 stood still in astonishment at this the culmin- 

 ating triumph of Life's activity. 



The changefulness of Life is represented in 

 mankind by a definite instinct the desire of 

 variety, which is severely repressed by the bonds 

 of habit, but has powerfully contributed to human 



