252 WILD TRAITS IN TAME ANIMALS. 



What appears to my mind to be by far the 

 strongest evidence we possess that protective 

 mimicry is resorted to by certain of the FeHdae, 

 in almost as marked a degree as among insects 

 and other lowly organised creatures, is the habit 

 of hissing and spitting at an enemy shown by the 

 blind, newly-born kittens of almost all varieties 

 of cats. Now, whenever one finds an identical 

 instinctive habit displaying itself in every newly- 

 born individual among a number of distinct but 

 related species, one may be sure that it is of very 

 great antiquity ; for it must have been established 

 before the separation between the several species 

 took place. Hence the explosive kitten helps 

 to explain away the difficulties raised by its 

 gigantic relatives, such as the jaguar and the 

 tiger, who, while still uttering sounds suggestive of 

 reptiles, obviously stand in no need of protection. 

 For, as was remarked above, the earliest cat-like 

 animals were undoubtedly much more defenceless 

 creatures than the great majority of those now 

 existing ; and, moreover, at the time when they 

 and their instincts were first evolved, formidable 

 reptiles and birds were probably much more im- 

 portant factors of environment than they have 

 ever been since. Still the kitten, if its testimony 



