Chapter I: Preface

This little book is only a sketch of what its Author desired it to be, and he never saw the completed manuscript. Beginning with the fundamental idea that decoration is based upon structure, he saw that this was due to the fact that in the lower, transparent, animals, colour is applied directly to the organs, and that the decoration of opaque animals is carried out on the same principle--the primitive idea being maintained. Where function changes the pattern alters, where function is localized colour is concentrated: and thus the law of emphasis was evolved. Symmetry was a necessary consequence, for like parts were decorated alike, and this symmetry was carried out in detail apparently for the sake of beauty, as in the spiracular markings of many larvæ. Hence the reason for recognizing the law of repetition.

With the developing of these ideas the necessity for recognizing some sort of consciousness even in the lowest forms of life was forced upon the Author, until inherited memory formed part of his scientific faith. This he saw dimly years ago, but only clearly when Mr. S. Butler's remarkable "Life and Habit" appeared, and he was gratified and strengthened when he found Mr. Romanes adopting that theory in his "Mental Evolution."

The opening chapters are designedly elementary; for the Author had a wise dread of locking intellectual treasures in those unpickable scientific safes of which "the learned" alone hold keys.

Only a very small portion of the vast array of facts accumulated has been made use of, and the Author was steadily working through the animal kingdom, seeking exceptions to his laws, but finding none, when death closed his patient and far-seeing eyes. A few days before the end he begged me to finish this abstract, for I had been at his side through all his labours.

The work contains his views as clearly as I could express them, though on every page I feel they suffer from want of amplification. But I feared the work might become the expression of my own thoughts, though want of leisure would probably have prevented that unhappy result. Now it is finished, I would fain write it all over again, for methinks between the lines can be seen gleams of brighter light.

SYDNEY B. J. SKERTCHLY.

CARSHALTON,
_July 17th, 1886_.

The coloured illustrations were drawn by Mrs. Skertchly chiefly from
nature, and very carefully printed by Messrs. Alabaster, Passmore, and
Sons.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER PAGE

I. INTRODUCTORY 1

II. INHERITED MEMORY 8

III. INTRODUCTORY SKETCH 16

IV. COLOUR, ITS NATURE AND RECOGNITION 25

V. THE COLOUR SENSE 32

VI. SPOTS AND STRIPES 39

VII. COLOURATION IN THE INVERTEBRATA 49

VIII. DETAILS OF PROTOZOA 56

IX. DETAILS OF COELENTERATA 59

X. THE COLOURATION OF INSECTS 68

XI. THE COLOURATION OF INSECTS 75

XII. ARACHNIDA 82

XIII. COLOURATION OF INVERTEBRATA 85

XIV. COLOURATION OF VERTEBRATA 88

XV. THE COLOURATION OF PLANTS 95

XVI. CONCLUSIONS 97

LIST OF WOODCUTS.

Fig. 1. Part of Secondary Feather of Argus Pheasant.

Fig. 2. Ditto Wing-feather of ditto.

Fig. 3. Diagram of Butterfly's Wing.

Fig. 4. Python.

Fig. 5. Tiger's Skin.

Fig. 6. Ditto.

Fig. 7. Tiger's Head, side view.

Fig. 8. Ditto, crown.

Fig. 9. Leopard's Skin.

Fig. 10. Ditto.

Fig. 11. Leopard's Head, side view.

Fig. 12. Ditto, crown.

Fig. 13. Lynx' Skin.

Fig. 14. Ditto.

Fig. 15. Ocelot.

Fig. 16. Badger.

Fig. 17. Begonia Leaf.

DESCRIPTION OF PLATES.

PLATE I. _Kallima Inachus_, the Indian Leaf Butterfly.
_p._ 28. Fig. 1. With wings expanded.
Fig. 2. Two Butterflies at rest, showing their exact
resemblance to dead leaves.
This insect affords one of the best examples of
protective resemblance.

PLATE II. Illustration of mimicry in butterflies.
_p._ 30. Fig. 1. Male of _Papilio merope_.
Fig. 2. Female of ditto mimicking Fig. 3.
Fig. 3. _Danais niavius._
On the African continent both species occur, but in
Madagascar _D. niavius_ is wanting, and the female
_P. merope_ is coloured like the male.

PLATE III. Fig. 1. _Gonepteryx Cleopatra._
_p._ 40. Fig. 2. _Gonepteryx rhamni_, male.
_Note._--The orange spot in Fig. 2 has
spread over the wing in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3. _Vanessa Antiopa._
Fig. 4. _Panopoea hirta._
Fig. 5. _Acrea gea._
These two last belong to widely different genera, but
are admirable examples of mimicry.

PLATE IV. Fig. 1. _Leucophasia Sinapis._
_p._ 42. Fig. 2. Ditto, var. _diniensis_.
Fig. 3. _Anthocaris cardamines_, male.
Fig. 4. Ditto, female.
Fig. 5. _Anthocaris belemia._
Fig. 6. _Anthocaris belia._
Fig. 7. Ditto, var. _simplonia_.
Fig. 8. _Anthocaris eupheno_, female.
Fig. 9. Ditto, male.
Fig. 10. _Anthocaris euphemoides._
Fig. 11. _Papilio machaon._
Fig. 12. _Papilio podalirius._
Fig. 13. _Pieris napi_, summer form.
Fig. 14. Ditto, winter form.
Fig. 15. Ditto, var. _bryoniæ_ (alpine form).
Fig. 16. Ditto, summer form, underside.
Fig. 17. Ditto, winter form, underside.
Fig. 18. Ditto, var. _bryoniæ_, underside.

Figs. 13-18 illustrate admirably the variations of the
yellow and black in the same species.

PLATE V. Fig. 1. _Araschnia prorsa_, male.
_p._ 44. Fig. 2. Ditto, female.
Fig. 3. _Araschnia levana_, female.
Fig. 4. Ditto, male.
Fig. 5. _Paragra ægeria._
Fig. 6. _Araschnia porima._
Fig. 7. Ditto, var. _meione_.
Fig. 8. _Grapta interrogationis._
Fig. 9. Ditto.
Fig. 10. Ditto.
Fig. 11. _Papilio Ajax_, var. _Walshii_.
Fig. 12. Ditto, var. _telamonides_.
Fig. 13. Ditto, var. _Marcellus_.

Figs. 1-5 are all one species; _levana_ being the winter form,
_prorsa_ the summer form, and _porima_ intermediate. Similarly
6-7 are the same species, _meione_ being the southern form. So
with 8-9 and 11-13, which are only seasonal varieties. Here we
can actually trace the way in which varieties are formed.
_See_ Weismann's work, cited in the text.

PLATE VI. _Syncoryne pulchella_, magnified. After Professor Allman.
_p._ 62. Gymnoblastic or Tubularian Hydroids. Ray Soc., 1871,
pl. vi., figs. 1 and 3.

Fig. 1. A planoblast as seen passively floating in the water
after liberation.
Fig. 2. The entire hydrosoma of syncoryne.
_a._ The spadix.
_b._ The medusæ or planoblasts in various stages of
development.

PLATE VII.
_p._ 80. Fig. 1. _Deilephila galii_, immature.
Fig. 2. Ditto brown variety, adult.
Fig. 3. _Deilephila euphorbiæ._
Fig. 4. _Sphinx ligustri._
Fig. 5. _Deilephila euphorbiæ_, dorsal view.
Fig. 6. _Orgyia antiqua._
Fig. 7. _Abraxas grossulariata._
Fig. 8. _Bombyx neustria._
Fig. 9. _Callimorpha dominula._
Fig. 10. _Euchelia jacobæa._
Fig. 11. _Papilio machaon._

SPIDERS.

PLATE VIII. Fig. 1. _Segestria senoculata_, female.
_p._ 84. Fig. 2. _Sparassus smaragdulus_, male.
Fig. 3. _Lycosa piscatoria_, female.
Fig. 4. ---- _andrenivora_, male.
Fig. 5. ---- ---- female.
Fig. 6. ---- _allodroma_, male.
Fig. 7. ---- _agretyca_, male.
Fig. 8. ---- _allodroma_, female.
Fig. 9. Diagram of _Lycosa_, showing form and position of
vessels. After Gegenbaur.
Fig. 10. _Lycosa campestris_, female.
Fig. 11. _Thomisus luctuosus_, male.
Fig. 12. _Salticus scenicus_, female.
Fig. 13. _Lycosa rapax_, female.
Fig. 14. ---- _latitans_, female.
Fig. 15. _Theridion pictum_, female.
Fig. 16. _Lycosa picta_, female.
Fig. 17. ---- ---- male.
All the above are British species, and copied from Blackwell's
"Spiders of Great Britain and Ireland." Ray Soc., 1862.

FISHES.

PLATE IX. Fig. 1. Windermere Char. _Salmo Willughbii._ A species
_p._ 88. peculiar to our North of England lakes.
Fig. 2. Perch, _Perca fluviatilis_, showing the modified
rib-like markings.

SUNBIRDS.

PLATE X. Fig. 1. _Nectarinea chloropygia._
_p._ 90. Fig. 2. _Nectarinea christinæ._
These birds illustrate regional colouration well.

LEAVES.

PLATE XI. Fig. 1. Horse Chestnut, _Æschulus hippocastanum_, decaying.
_p._ 95. Fig. 2. _Coleus._
Fig. 3. _Begonia rex._
Fig. 4. _Begonia_.
Fig. 5. _Caladium bicolor._
Fig. 6. _Anoechtochilus xanthophyllus._

FLOWERS.

PLATE XII. Fig. 1. _Gloxinia_, with 5 petals, showing uneven
_p._ 96. colouring.
Fig. 2. _Gloxinia_, with 6 petals, showing regular
colouring.
Figs. 3 and 4. Pelargoniums, showing the variation of the
dark markings with the different sized petals.

COLOURATION IN ANIMALS AND PLANTS.