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452 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[March 23, 1907 
Some Interesting Mimics. 
It is a question among many observers whether 
a so-called mimic (and I refer to the popular 
interpretation of the term—an animal that re¬ 
sembles an inanimate object and finds protection 
in it) is unconscious, or whether the protection 
is assumed with malice aforethought. I fancy, 
and it is merely an impression, that animals, as a 
rule, which are protected by imitating something 
else, which simulate their surroundings to a re¬ 
markable extent, know little about it. They do 
not assume a green suit, as does the soldier, be¬ 
cause he thinks it makes him inconspicuous, or 
flash from red to pink, blue, or gray, as the 
popular fancy sees the chameleon as it passes 
from one color to another, knowing all about it. 
To believe this would be to endow the lizard 
with remarkable intelligence. 
Many of the mimics are accidental; others as¬ 
sume their protective coloring unconsciously, 
they cannot help it, light and color having their 
effect upon them according to natural laws. Thus 
the horned toad, so common in California, when 
I find it on the bush, it is dark and highly colored ; 
but release it on the light sands, and it quickly 
adapts itself to the situation, assimulating the 
new surroundings in color, tint and tone to a 
remarkable degree. 
The horned toad when changed does not com¬ 
mune with itself, according to popular belief, and 
say mentally, “I am on lighter ground and in¬ 
conspicuous to any road runner.” It knows noth¬ 
ing about it, but the new color, through the 
medium of the eye, causes a change, a contrac¬ 
tion or expansion of the color cells, and an as¬ 
similation of general tint is the result; in a word, 
nature protects the animal probably without the 
latter being aware of it. This may not be so, but 
it is the belief of the writer and many others that 
it is. 
A very lucid explanation of the effect of light 
cn certain animals is given in the experiments 
of Lister and Pouchet on the chromatic func¬ 
tions. We are shown a section of frog’s skin. 
The outer section, or epidermis, displays the 
epidermis in which are a few pigment cells; 
then comes the cutis with big star-shaped deep 
cells of pigment, separated from the epidermis 
by a thick layer of yellow pigment cells, as seen 
in a section. The epidermis is made up of cells, 
and the lower layer of cylindrical cells. The 
fibrous cutis is permeated by nerves and cavities 
in which is stored pigment or color. These 
cavities or glands are very sensitive. They con¬ 
tract or expand with all the sensitiveness of 
mercury in a thermometer. The slightest differ¬ 
ence in color or shade, tint or tone, and the color 
reservoirs, as we call them, expand or shrink. 
The reservoirs of color are called chromata- 
pliores, and the latter are palettes containing 
colors of brown, black, red or green—a marvel¬ 
ous arrangement or machine devised by nature to 
effect the concealment of the fish or reptile 
passing them. A small volume could be written 
on the combinations these colors can produce in 
a fish or reptile. Heincke observed in the fish 
Gobius ruthensparri that the pigment cells which 
changed to yellow when distended, became 
orange-colored when contracted; while the red 
ones under contraction became black or brown. 
Lister has made similar observations in other 
animals. 
We have, then, layers of pigment or color cells 
in the cutis principally; next to the epidermis are 
the light-colored or yellow ones; below them 
again, a layer of dark or intensely black cells—- 
a finely adjusted series whose contraction or ex¬ 
pansion creates, produces the marvelous cob 
we observe in various animals, as the anol 
chameleon, frog and others. It is believed that: 
all the color cells relax the animal will assui 
a brown or dark hue, and when they contr. 
other tints are produced and conditions may e 
ist when there may be contraction and expansi 
of the color cells almost at the same time. 
The interesting point in this superficial glan 
at a very complicated subject is to ascertain h< 
the change is produced, and there is hardly a 
question as to the eye of the animal being t 
medium. I had at one time a collection of eig 
or ten lizards, half of which were of the “horn 
toad” variety. One of these, possibly from 1 
peatedly ejecting from its eye the peculiar bloo 
like secretion at a fox terrier, became blind; 
least it would run into objects, and its eyes b. 
the appearance of being totally destroyed. I h: 
arranged a number of pens for these lizards ran 
ing from white to black, and as I changed the 
about they adapted themselves to the color to 
greater or less degree, all except the blind horm 
lizard; it remained the same on any color. List 
demonstrated this as early as 1858, and tl 
familiar experiment of the fish with one eye d 
stroyed will be recalled. On the blind side ti 
fish was mottled, of no particular color; the oth 
side having a good eye adapted itself to the cob 
of the bottom upon which it rested. 
The accompanying photographs of living fish 
from the waters of the Southern Californ 
islands (Santa Catalina) afford excellent illustr. 
tions of the remarkable protection afforded l 
adaptability to surroundings. The sculpin (Fi 
I.) is quite as weird as the eastern type of th 
fish, and certainly as offensive, being armed wii 
points and spines that are extremely disagreeab 
and even dangerous. The fish is rarely seen 1 
move, and in looking overboard one often ot 
serves what appears to be a stone or mos 
covered rock; then a certain angle or ray of ligj 
illumines a marvelous eye that blazes wit 
splendid tints—a veritable gem, a topaz of tl 
sea. The fish is absolutely motionless, and i 
mottled appearance coincides almost exactly wit 
that of the surrounding rock, and at a little dis 
ance away it could hardly be seen. 
The remarkable possibilty of change of cole 
in these fishes cannot be imagined until they ar 
closely observed on different bases. The tim 
are never extremely pronounced, never jet blac 
or pure white, but when a fish is placed on differ 
ent bases in color from black to white, its adapto 
tion is striking and amply sufficient for genen 
protection. I have collected a dozen such fishe 
and placed them in a compartment, and from 
distance of a few feet strangers did not recog, 
nize them as fishes until they caught the glear 
of the marvelous eyes. 
More remarkable is the mirmTry of the sc 
called kelp fish, shown in Fig. II., where tw 
living fishes are seen in characteristic attitude: 
tail elevated apparently to conform to the positio: 
of the kelp leaves in which they are mostly founcj 
I have never seen these fishes on the maintain 
shores. They affect the kelp-lined rocks of tin 
islands that rise twenty miles or more offshorq 
and around Avalon Bay are very common. Her 
the kelpian forest forms a forest-like belt aroum 
the rocks, rising to a height of thirty or fort; 
feet. Below this is a kelp with short leaves* 
shown in Fig. I., the edges serrated. In thi 
thick mass I have seen the kelp fish poising 
standing either on its head or on its tail, swing 
ing with the tidal currents or the ground swell 
and presenting a marvelous close resemblance t< 
the weed it lived in. 
I have placed these in a glass tank and almos 
invariably they appeared to assume odd positions 
to conform to the kelp leaves; and when it i: 
said that they are green in color, and that the 
long dorsal and ventral fins extend the entire 
southern California rock fish ( Scorpcena guttata) 
Mimicking the rocks in color. . Very difficult to see it. 
