The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-05-21

the concealment is a compound grad
alton of color and light. Experiments
with painted decoys showed that even
brilliant top colors. however strongly
contrasted to surroundings, scarcely
tend to betray the wearer, IL his en-
semble be graduation from dark to
light below. Animals explained Mr..
Thayer, ARE painted by nature dark
est on those parts which tend to be
most lighted by the skys light, and
vice versa Mimicry makes an ami
NAL appear to be some other thing,
whereas this newly discovered law
makes him cease to appear to exist at
ALL"
The models prepared by Mr.. Thayer
successfully demonstrated the correct
ness of his theory of the effect of gra-
dation in color, the reason of the dis
appearance of one bird velng obvi-
ously that the white under surface
counteracted the effect of the shadow
thrown by a top light, making the
bird which is graded from dark above
to white below, at little distance, one
uniform color: while in the case of the
other model, wholly colored the same
as its surroundings, a shadow throws
it in strong relief, showing how inef-
fectuaI for concealment such coloring
would be. When nature has made the
animal cease to appear to exist, 1t fol-
lows, Mr.. Thayer says, that his sur
face must grow to wear the picture
of the backgrounds hence one may
read in the design of the creatures
coloring the story of his life and
haunts. The tiger wears picture of
sunbaked. matted, vertical stems of
large flags. etc. the partridge Won
deful production of bare earth, stones
and dead grasses, and the sandpipers
the delicate horizontal Innings of the
ocean sands.
Mr. Thayer next proceeded to study
out his theory Of warning colors and
protective resemblance or mimicry-a
condition which makes an animal ap-
| pear to be some other thing, presun-
ably for the purpose of self-preserva-
ton amid the tremendous struggle for
| existence continually going on in the
wild state of nature The subject is of
extreme interest and Importance in re-
lation to that of natural selection with
which the name of the great naturalist.
Charles Darwin, will ever be indissolu-
bly, connected The similarity of many
insects to leaves, twigs, flowers and
other inanimate objects among which
they live is so remarkable that it is not
difficult for the layman to believe that
the resemblance must be for protection,
or is in some way advantageous to the
animal possessing it. Many extraor-
binary instances of mimicry were dis
| covered by Mr.. Thayer. The close imi-
tation of dead leaf presented by
butterfly when its wings are closed
could not be surpassed. 1t was found
that these butterflies. if pursued by
bird, take refuge among foliage, the re-
semblance of the under side Of the
wings to a dry leaf enabling them to
conceal themselves. They were OBJ
served also to rest head downwards on
the trunks of trees, where their leaf
like appearance protected them from
lizards. The same phenomena was OBJ
served in locust the wings of whicn
present an extraordinary resemblance
to ~ caying leaf.
Another phase CT mimicry is where
the object resembled or mimicked is an
other living animal belonging to a diff
ferent species, family or even order.
Known to be nauseous and inedble on
account Of taste, odor or some other
reason. Insectivorous birds, mammals
and reptiles destroy for food immense
numbers of insects, and it is important
to those which are distasteful and re-
pellent that they should be easily dis
tinguished from those which are harm
less and good to eat. Hence the for
mer assume bright or gaudy colors as
warning to the inSect-eaters while the
edible species mimic them to secure an
equal immunity from attack and de-
struction.
Whatever may be the real explana-
tloh OF the phenomena of protective re-
semblances and adaptation of external
colorlng to the conditions of life among
ANIMALS, the discoveries made by Ny
mayer are very curious. and well
worthy of careful consideration.