468 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



taking them up." * The difficulty in cognizing the phenomenon 

 of active mimicry is no greater than that experienced in endea- 

 vouring to explain the derivation, or evolution, of active means 

 of defence, in fact it is much less formidable ; for it is easy to 

 comprehend even from our own experience that concealment is 

 frequently a need, and is an art capable of cultivation and im- 

 provement. But many of the means of animal defence are in 

 themselves almost inscrutable ; we see the weapon used, but 

 cannot account for its present existence. Natural selection may 

 explain the improvement and survival of such useful organs, but 

 their origin is still obscure. We will briefly allude to a few in 

 order to make our comparison clear. The Horned Lizard 

 (Phrynosoma sp.), commonly known as the " Californian Toad," 

 possesses the power of ejecting jets of blood from the eyes, 

 apparently as a means of defence. The Sand Shrimp (Crangon 

 vulgaris) can suddenly raise a perfect cloud of fine sand round 

 itself— "firing, so to speak, a * broadside for the sake of the 

 smoke,' and literally throwing dust in the eyes of his enemies." t 

 The well-known instance of the " Cuttle-fish," which is able to 

 discharge its inky secretion, and escape, like a diplomatist, in 

 the darkness thus effected, is another illustration, as is also the 

 Bombardier Beetle (Pheropsophus sp.), which when caught ex- 

 plodes its abdominal artillery, producing sound, smoke, and pain 

 alike. The larva of the Puss Moth (Cerura vinula) can squirt a 

 fluid — formic acid— when handled. I The common Partridge will 

 " feign itself wounded and run along the ground fluttering and 

 crying before either dog or man, to draw them away from its 

 helpless unfledged young ones." § Sometimes the indications of 

 intelligent action may be almost inappreciable to our untrained 

 cognitions in animal psychology, but even then the loosely used, 

 and still more vaguely understood term, instinct, would have to 

 be applied. At other times volition seems to be influenced by 

 environment. Humboldt relates that " in the Missions of the 

 Orinoco, and on the banks of the river Amazon, the Indians who 



* 'Among Cannibals,' p. 23. 



f W. B. Lord, ' Crab, Shrimp, and Lobster Lore,' p. 74. 

 I J. W. Tutt, 'British Moths,' p. 101. 



§ Gilbert White and Markwick, ' Nat. Hist. Selborne,' Harting's edition, 

 p. 325. 



