NOTES AND QUEBIRS. 145 



OKGANIC EVOLUTION. 



Remarks relating to Mimicry. — I am obliged to Mr. C. T. Rope for 

 informing me (p. 85) of the likelihood of black Ducks throwing white 

 feathers ; in the case of the drake and two ducks under my observation the 

 drake alone did this. The nesting Fowl certainly does not hiss as clearly 

 as a Duck ; nevertheless it makes a puffing sound of the same nature, 

 and apparently made in just the same way. It would be indeed a triumph 

 of mimicry for an animal not only to feign death, but also the appearance 

 of the decay which usually supervenes. In the case mentioned by Mr. 

 Rope — that of Bombinator igneus — the shrinking might perhaps be caused 

 by an effort towards smallness rather than the appearance of decay ; other- 

 wise a batrachian might be capable of mimicking its own skeleton, which is 

 hardly likely. Unconscious mimicry, apparently due to sexual relations, is 

 a common feature in wedded couples, who notoriously tend to resemble 

 each other in facial expression, if not in feature, after many years of 

 cohabitation. This may be consequent upon developed similarity of 

 thought, or something else. Some cynics would deny that it was due to 

 mutual affectiou. — Charles A. Witchell. 



Zool. 4th ser. vol. IV., March, 1900. 



