CONSPICUOUSNESS IN NATURE 17 
but afterwards the mind may decide what 
species of wasp it is by its colour, or some 
other character. For this reason, form per 
se is a character which the majority of 
animals endeavour to hide, because the 
majority of animals wish to make themselves 
inconspicuous in Nature. So much is this 
so, that a study of protection is in truth a 
study of the means used to obliterate form. 
Nevertheless, some animals which are pur- 
posely conspicuous in Nature take no _ pre- 
cautions to obliterate form, but, in fact, rather 
accentuate their shape; these may be said 
to possess purposely conspicuous form. 
Thayer has shown that form is commonly rendered 
inconspicuous by obliterative shading. 
Absence of obliterative shading or anti-obliterative 
shading, when found in animals whose form could be 
concealed by obliterative shading, will be examples of 
purposely conspicuous form. 
Purposely conspicuous form may be classi- 
fied like purposely conspicuous motion, ac- 
cording as the signal is to friends or to 
enemies. 
Mention has already been made of con- 
spicuousness, produced by the taking up of 
particular positions ; this may be accentuated 
by the assumption of some easily seen form in 
B 
