New-York tribune., 1867-08-15

protection would certainly lie very injurious to them"
The insect world undoubtedly affords the most re-
markable AZ well As the most cases OF the
mimicrv of animals In the higher orders there are
few facilities for notifications Of external form Inc
unrnber of species moreover is comparatively small
so that the chances of the first accidental Tesem-
blance which is necessary for natural selection 10
work upon are much diminished. We could not eX-
pect the mmcry by which the elk could escape rom
the wolf the buffalo from the tiger Still IN the
order OF reptiles we find such similarity OF form thai
a slight change if accompanied by identity OF color
would produce the necessary amount OF resemblance
There are also several species which il would be adj
vantaCcous for others to resemble, since they are
armed with the most fatal weapons of offense Some
remarkable cases of mmicry, accordingly, are FUR
nished 10y reptiles, OF which several interesting de-
tails arc given by the writer There are IN troplci
America a number of venOmOus snakes, which are
omamented with brilliant colOrs disposed in pecu-
liar manner The ground color is generally brlsht
red on which are black bands of various widths and
sometimes divided into two or three by yeio" IilisS'
Now in the same country are found several genera
of harmless snakes having no afhny WHAT =
ever with the above but colOred exactly the same
Nor are examples of mimicry among vertebrate
animals confined to reptiles Many OF the small ree
frogs are also mimickers, and when seen Ill lhelr
natural attitudes, can hardly be distinguished Hom
beetes or other insects sitting upon leaves III the
class Of birds there are number OF cases that at least
make some approach TO mimicry, such as the resem-
blance of the cuckoos, weak and defenseesS group
of birds 70 hawks and the gallinaceOus tribe. " In
Australia and the Mouccas there is a genus of honey
suckers good-sized birds, very strong and active,
having powerful graspng claws and long, curved,
sharp beaks They assemble together in groups and
small focks and they have 4 very loud bawlng note
which can be heard at great distance and serves TO
collect number together i'll time of danger They are
very plentiful and very pugnacious frequently driv-
ing away crows and even hawks which perch Oh tree
where n few of them are assembled. They all of
rather dull and obscure colors. Now in the same
countrv there is a group of orioles, much weaker
birds which have lost the gay coloring of their
allies and are usually olve-green or brown. and
in several cases these have come TO resemble most
cmiously the honeysuckers of the same island"
The relation of the variety of colors to vegetable
life affords the writer theme of ingenious, if not en-
tirely satisfactory speculation. "Ihe important part
that protective resemblance has played in deter
mining the colors and markings of many groups of
animals will enable us to understand the meaning
of one of the most striking facts in nature the UNI
fOrmty in the cOlors of the vegetable as compared
with the wonderful diversity of the animal world
There appears good reason why trees and shrubs
should not have been adorned with as many varied
hues and as strkngly designed patterns as birds and
butterflies since the gay colors of flowers show that
there is no ncapacty in vegetable tissues to exhibit
them But even flowers themselves present us
with none of those wonderful designs, those com
plicated arrangements of stripes and dots and
patches of color, that harmonious blending of
hues in lines and bands and shaded spots,
which are so general feature i'll insects. II is the
opinion of Mr. Darwin that we owe all the beauty OF
flowers 10 the necessity of attracting insects to and
in their fertilization, and that much OF the develop
ment of color i'll the animal wOrldIs due 70 sexual
selection color being universally attractive, and
thus leading to its propagation and increase; but
while fully admitting this, it will be evident, from
the facts and arguments here brought forward, that
very much of the rariey both of color and markings
among animals is due to the supreme Importance of
conceament and thus the various tints of minerals
and vegetables have been directly reproduced in the
animal kingdom, and again and again modified as
more special protection became necessary. We shall
thus have two causes for the development of color
in the animal world, and shall be better enabled
to understand how, by their combined and
separate action the immense variety we now
behold has been produced. Both causes how
ever will come under the general law of Utility
the advocacy of which, in its brOadest sense we owe
almost entirely TO Mr.. Darwin more accurate
knowledge of the varied phenomena connected with
this subject may not mprobably give us some nfor-
nation both as TO the and the mental faculties
of the lower animals For it is evident that if cOors
which please also attract them and if the various
disguises which have been here enumerated are
equally deceptive to them as to ourselves, then
both their powers Of vision and their faculties
of perception and emotion must be essentially Of
the same nature as our Own--a fact of high
philosophical importance in the study of our own
nature and our trle relations to the lower animals
The upshOt Of the article is in accordance with the
prevailing tendency Of scientific thought, showing
that the results in wide and picturesque domain of
Nature which have hitherto been supposed to depend
upon these incalculable combinations OF law which
are termed chance upon the direct vOlion of the
Creator are really due 10 the action Of compare
lively well known and simple causes.
Beside this suggestive contribution to a little ex-
plored department Of natural history, the present
number of the Westminster" has articles on
Seneca" 1.-THE Last Great Monopoly" Lyric
Feuds," THE Future Of Reform" Jamaica" and
Mazzins eloquent paper on "The Religious Side of
the Italian Question:" which We have already
noticed on its simultaneous publication in the
| Atlantic Monthly for July.