The Making of Species 
ing dogs are very apt to come to grief where 
cobras abound, as there is something very alluring 
to them in the sight of a large snake when it sits 
up nodding and snarling ; and it is often difficult 
to come up in time to prevent the occurrence of 
irreparable mischief.” 
Colonel Cunningham also states that many 
ruminants have a great animosity to snakes, and 
are prone to attack any that they may come 
across. 
We may therefore well be sceptical as to the 
value of intimidating attitudes to those creatures 
which are in the habit of striking them. 
MImIcry 
In a work of this kind it is neither possible 
nor necessary to consider in great detail the 
mass of evidence which has been advanced in 
favour of the theory of mimetic resemblance. 
Chapters vii. and viii. of Professor Poulton’s 
Essays on Evolution contain an up-to-date state- 
ment of the facts in favour of the theory. Pro- 
fessor Poulton believes that in all cases mimetic 
resemblance is the result of the action of natural 
selection. 
He admits that there is no direct evidence in 
its favour, but asserts that “the facts of the 
cosmos, so far as we know them, are consistent 
with the theory, and none of them inconsistent 
with it” (page 271). 
226 
