The slightest observation of the life of animals will show us, that they escape from their enemies and obtain their food in an infinite number of ways; and that their varied6 habits and instincts are in every case adapted to the conditions of their existence. The porcupine7 and the hedgehog have a defensive8 armour9 that saves them from the attacks of most animals. The tortoise is not injured by the conspicuous1 colours of his shell, because that shell is in most cases an effectual protection to him. The skunks10 of North America find safety in their power of emitting an unbearably11 offensive odour; the beaver12 in its aquatic13 habits and solidly constructed abode14. In some cases the chief danger to an animal occurs at one particular period of its existence, and if that is guarded against its numbers can easily be maintained. This is the case with many birds, the eggs and young of which are especially obnoxious15 to danger, and we find accordingly a variety of curious contrivances to protect them. We have nests carefully concealed16, hung from the slender extremities17 of grass or boughs18 over water, or placed in the hollow of a tree with a very small opening. When these precautions are successful, so many more individuals will be reared than can possibly find food during the least favourable19 seasons, that there will always be a number of weakly and inexperienced young birds who will fall a prey20 to the enemies of the race, and thus render necessary for the stronger and healthier individuals no other safeguard than their strength and activity. The instincts most favourable to the production and rearing of offspring will in these cases be most important, and the survival of the fittest will act so as to keep up and advance those instincts, while other causes which tend to modify colour and marking may continue their action almost unchecked.
It is perhaps in insects that we may best study the varied means by which animals are defended or concealed. One of the uses of the phosphorescence with which many insects are furnished, is probably to frighten away their enemies; for Kirby and Spence state that a ground beetle21 (Carabus) has been observed running round and round a luminous22 centipede as if afraid to attack it. An immense number of insects have stings, and some stingless ants of the genus Polyrachis are armed with strong and sharp spines23 on the back, which must render them unpalatable to many of the smaller insectivorous birds. Many beetles24 of the family Curculionid? have the wing cases and other external parts so excessively hard, that they cannot be pinned without first drilling a hole to receive the pin, and it is probable that all such find a protection in this excessive hardness. Great numbers of insects hide themselves among the petals25 of flowers, or in the cracks of bark and timber; and finally, extensive groups and even whole orders have a more or less powerful and disgusting smell and taste, which they either possess permanently26, or can emit at pleasure. The attitudes of some insects may also protect them, as the habit of turning up the tail by the harmless rove-beetles (Staphylindid?) no doubt leads other animals besides children to the belief that they can sting. The curious attitude assumed by sphinx caterpillars27 is probably a safeguard, as well as the blood-red tentacles28 which can suddenly be thrown out from the neck, by the caterpillars of all the true swallow-tailed butterflies.
It is among the groups that possess some of these varied kinds of protection in a high degree, that we find the greatest amount of conspicuous colour, or at least the most complete absence of protective imitation. The stinging Hymenoptera, wasps29, bees, and hornets, are, as a rule, very showy and brilliant insects, and there is not a single instance recorded in which any one of them is coloured so as to resemble a vegetable or inanimate substance. The Chrysidid?, or golden wasps, which do not sting, possess as a substitute the power of rolling themselves up into a ball, which is almost as hard and polished as if really made of metal — and they are all adorned30 with the most gorgeous colours. The whole order Hemiptera (comprising the bugs) emit a powerful odour, and they present a very large proportion of gay-coloured and conspicuous insects. The lady-birds (Coccinellid?) and their allies the Eumorphid?, are often brightly spotted31, as if to attract attention; but they can both emit fluids of a very disagreeable nature, they are certainly rejected by some birds, and are probably never eaten by any.
The great family of ground beetles (Carabid?) almost all possess a disagreeable and some a very pungent32 smell, and a few, called bombardier beetles, have the peculiar33 faculty34 of emitting a jet of very volatile35 liquid, which appears like a puff36 of smoke, and is accompanied by a distinct crepitating explosion. It is probably because these insects are mostly nocturnal and predacious that they do not present more vivid hues37. They are chiefly remarkable38 for brilliant metallic39 tints40 or dull red patches when they are not wholly black, and are therefore very conspicuous by day, when insect-eaters are kept off by their bad odour and taste, but are sufficiently41 invisible at night when it is of importance that their prey should not become aware of their proximity42.
It seems probable that in some cases that which would appear at first to be a source of danger to its possessor may really be a means of protection. Many showy and weak-flying butterflies have a very broad expanse of wing, as in the brilliant blue Morphos of Brazilian forests, and the large Eastern Papilios; yet these groups are tolerably plentiful43. Now, specimens44 of these butterflies are often captured with pierced and broken wings, as if they had been seized by birds from whom they had escaped; but if the wings had been much smaller in proportion to the body, it seems probable that the insect would be more frequently struck or pierced in a vital part, and thus the increased expanse of the wings may have been indirectly45 beneficial.
In other cases the capacity of increase in a species is so great that however many of the perfect insect may be destroyed, there is always ample means for the continuance of the race. Many of the flesh flies, gnats46, ants, palm-tree weevils and locusts47 are in this category. The whole family of Cetoniad? or rose chafers, so full of gaily-coloured species, are probably saved from attack by a combination of characters. They fly very rapidly with a zigzag48 or waving course; they hide themselves the moment they alight, either in the corolla of flowers, or in rotten wood, or in cracks and hollows of trees, and they are generally encased in a very hard and polished coat of mail which may render them unsatisfactory food to such birds as would be able to capture them. The causes which lead to the development of colour have been here able to act unchecked, and we see the result in a large variety of the most gorgeously-coloured insects.
Here, then, with our very imperfect knowledge of the life-history of animals, we are able to see that there are widely varied modes by which they may obtain protection from their enemies or concealment49 from their prey. Some of those seem to be so complete and effectual as to answer all the wants of the race, and lead to the maintenance of the largest possible population. When this is the case, we can well understand that no further protection derived50 from a modification51 of colour can be of the slightest use, and the most brilliant hues may be developed without any prejudicial effect upon the species. On some of the laws that determine the development of colour something may be said presently. It is now merely necessary to show that concealment by obscure or imitative tints is only one out of very many ways by which animals maintain their existence; and having done this we are prepared to consider the phenomena of what has been termed “mimicry.” It is to be particularly observed, however, that the word is not here used in the sense of voluntary imitation, but to imply a particular kind of resemblance — a resemblance not in internal structure but in external appearance — a resemblance in those parts only that catch the eye — a resemblance that deceives. As this kind of resemblance has the same effect as voluntary imitation or mimicry, and as we have no word that expresses the required meaning, “mimicry” was adopted by Mr. Bates (who was the first to explain the facts), and has led to some misunderstanding; but there need be none, if it is remembered that both “mimicry” and “imitation” are used in a metaphorical52 sense, as implying that close external likeness53 which causes things unlike in structure to be mistaken for each other.
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1
conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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phenomena
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| n.现象 | |
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mimicry
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| n.（生物）拟态，模仿 | |
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illustrate
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| v.举例说明，阐明；图解，加插图 | |
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6
varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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porcupine
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| n.豪猪， 箭猪 | |
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defensive
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| adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的 | |
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armour
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| （=armor）n.盔甲；装甲部队 | |
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10
skunks
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| n.臭鼬( skunk的名词复数 )；臭鼬毛皮；卑鄙的人；可恶的人 | |
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unbearably
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| adv.不能忍受地，无法容忍地；慌 | |
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beaver
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| n.海狸，河狸 | |
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aquatic
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| adj.水生的，水栖的 | |
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abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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obnoxious
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| adj.极恼人的，讨人厌的，可憎的 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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extremities
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| n.端点( extremity的名词复数 )；尽头；手和足；极窘迫的境地 | |
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boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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favourable
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| adj.赞成的，称赞的，有利的，良好的，顺利的 | |
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prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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beetle
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| n.甲虫，近视眼的人 | |
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luminous
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| adj.发光的，发亮的；光明的；明白易懂的；有启发的 | |
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spines
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| n.脊柱( spine的名词复数 )；脊椎；（动植物的）刺；书脊 | |
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beetles
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| n.甲虫( beetle的名词复数 ) | |
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petals
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| n.花瓣( petal的名词复数 ) | |
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permanently
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| adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地 | |
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caterpillars
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| n.毛虫( caterpillar的名词复数 )；履带 | |
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tentacles
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| n.触手( tentacle的名词复数 )；触角；触须；触毛 | |
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29
wasps
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| 黄蜂( wasp的名词复数 )； 胡蜂； 易动怒的人； 刻毒的人 | |
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adorned
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| [计]被修饰的 | |
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spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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32
pungent
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| adj.（气味、味道）刺激性的，辛辣的；尖锐的 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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faculty
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| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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35
volatile
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| adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质 | |
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puff
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| n.一口(气)；一阵(风)；v.喷气，喘气 | |
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hues
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| 色彩( hue的名词复数 )； 色调； 信仰； 观点 | |
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38
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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metallic
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| adj.金属的；金属制的；含金属的；产金属的；像金属的 | |
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40
tints
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| 色彩( tint的名词复数 )； 带白的颜色； （淡色）染发剂； 痕迹 | |
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41
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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42
proximity
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| n.接近，邻近 | |
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43
plentiful
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| adj.富裕的，丰富的 | |
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44
specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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45
indirectly
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| adv.间接地，不直接了当地 | |
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46
gnats
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| n.叮人小虫( gnat的名词复数 ) | |
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47
locusts
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| n.蝗虫( locust的名词复数 )；贪吃的人；破坏者；槐树 | |
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48
zigzag
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| n.曲折，之字形；adj.曲折的，锯齿形的；adv.曲折地，成锯齿形地；vt.使曲折；vi.曲折前行 | |
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49
concealment
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| n.隐藏, 掩盖，隐瞒 | |
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50
derived
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| vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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51
modification
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| n.修改，改进，缓和，减轻 | |
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52
metaphorical
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| a.隐喻的，比喻的 | |
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53
likeness
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| n.相像，相似（之处） | |
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