PDF - Wallace Online
PDF - Wallace Online PDF - Wallace Online
THE COLOURS OF ANIMALS AND SEXUAL SELECTION 1General Phenomena of Colour in the Organic World Theory of Heat andLight as producing Colour Changes of Colour in Animals producedby Coloured Light Classification of Organic Colours ProtectiveColours Warning Colours Sexual Colours Normal Colours TheNature of Colour How Animal Colours are produced Colour anormal product of Organisation Theory of Protective Colours-Theory of Warning Colours Imitative Warning Colours The Theoryof Mimicry Theory of Sexual Colours Colour as a means of RecognitionColour proportionate to Integumentary Development Selectionby Females not a cause of Colour Probable use of the Hornsof Beetles Cause of the greater Brilliancy of some Female InsectsOrigin of the Ornamental Plumage of Male Birds Theory of Displayof Ornaments by Males Natural Selection as neutralising SexualSelection Greater Brilliancy of some Female Birds Colour-developmentas illustrated by Humming-Birds Theory of Normal ColoursLocal causes of Colour-development The influence of Locality onColour in Butterflies and Birds Sense -perception influenced by Colourof the Integuments Summary on Colour-development in Animals.General Phenomena of Colour in the Organic WorldTHERE is probably no one quality of natural objects fromwhich we derive so much pure and intellectual enjoyment asfrom their colours. The heavenly blue of the firmament, theglowing tints of sunset, the exquisite purity of the snowymountains, and the endless shades of green presented by theverdure-clad surface of the earth, are a never-failing source ofpleasure to all who enjoy the inestimable gift of sight. Yetthese constitute, as it were, but the frame and background of1 A first sketch of this essay appeared in Macmillan's Magazine of Sep^tember 1877,
v COLOURS OF ANIMALS 339a marvellous and ever-changing picture. In contrast withthese broad and soothing tints, we have presented to us inthe vegetable and animal worlds an infinite variety of objectsadorned with the most beautiful and most varied hues.Flowers, insects, and birds are the organisms most generallyornamented in thisway and their ; symmetry of form, theirvariety of structure, and the lavish abundance with whichthey clothe and enliven the earth, cause them to be objectsof universal admiration. The relation of this wealth of colourto our mental and moral nature is indisputable. The childand the savage alike admire the gay tints of flower, bird,and insect ;while to many of us their contemplation brings asolace and enjoyment which is both intellectually and morallybeneficial. It can then hardly excite surprise that this relationwas long thought to afford a sufficient explanation of thephenomena of colour in nature and; although the fact thatFull many a flower is born to blush unseen,And waste its sweetness on the desert air,might seem to throw some doubt on the sufficiency of theexplanation, the answer was easy, that in the progress ofdiscovery man would, sooner or later, find out and enjoyevery beauty that the hidden recesses of the earth have instore for him. This theory received great support from thedifficulty of conceiving any other use or meaning in thecolours with which so many natural objects are adorned.Why should the homely gorse be clothed in golden raiment,and the prickly cactus be adorned with crimson bells ?Whyshould our fields be gay with buttercups, and the heather-cladmountains be clad in purple robes Why ? should every landproduce its own peculiar floral gems, and the alpine rocksglow with beauty, if not for the contemplation and enjoymentof man ? What could be the use to the butterfly of its gailypaintedwings, or to the humming-bird of its jewelled breast,except to add the final touches to a world-picture, calculated atonce to please and to refine mankind ? And even now, with all ourrecently acquired knowledge of this subject, who shall say thatthese old-world views were not intrinsically and fundamentallysound; and that, although we now know that colour has "uses"in nature that we little dreamt of, yet the relation of thosecolours or rather of the various rays of light to our senses
- Page 304 and 305: TROPICAL NATUREwhole insect is then
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- Page 308 and 309: 292 TROPICAL NATUREtion of very lar
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- Page 312 and 313: TROPICAL NATUREcurious interactions
- Page 314 and 315: 298 TROPICAL NATUREthan are exhibit
- Page 316 and 317: TROPICAL NATUEEthologists, it will
- Page 318 and 319: TROPICAL NATURELizardsLizards are b
- Page 320 and 321: 304 TROPICAL NATUREshine they more
- Page 322 and 323: TROPICAL NATUREMAMMALIAMonkeysThe h
- Page 324 and 325: TROPICAL NATUREacross the expanded
- Page 326 and 327: 310 TROPICAL NATURErather in the un
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- Page 330 and 331: 314 TROPICAL NATUREover the lower a
- Page 332 and 333: 316 TROPICAL NATUREhumming-birds ma
- Page 334 and 335: 318 TROPICAL NATUREsweets, in all t
- Page 336 and 337: TROPICAL NATUREDisplay of Ornaments
- Page 338 and 339: 322 TROPICAL NATUREtamed a number o
- Page 340 and 341: TROPICAL NATUREallied species on Ch
- Page 342 and 343: TROPICAL NATUREvariation, and with
- Page 344 and 345: TROPICAL NATUREhalf completed.In th
- Page 346 and 347: TROPICAL NATUREdevelopment; the for
- Page 348 and 349: TROPICAL NATUREsoft, while the tong
- Page 350 and 351: 334 TROPICAL NATUREtubular tongue o
- Page 352 and 353: TROPICAL NATURElittle white-eyes (Z
- Page 356 and 357: 340 TROPICAL NATUREand emotions may
- Page 358 and 359: 342 TROPICAL NATUREIt is true that
- Page 360 and 361: 344 TROPICAL NATUREprotecting them
- Page 362 and 363: 346 TROPICAL NATUREThis caterpillar
- Page 364 and 365: 348 TROPICAL NATUREweed of these tw
- Page 366 and 367: 350 TROPICAL NATUREflies, so that i
- Page 368 and 369: 352 TROPICAL NATUREThe universal av
- Page 370 and 371: 354 TROPICAL NATUREMr. Darwin's Des
- Page 372 and 373: 356 TROPICAL NATUREexternal objects
- Page 374 and 375: 358 TROPICAL NATUREand Mr. Sorby ha
- Page 376 and 377: TROPICAL NATUREment are much more n
- Page 378 and 379: 362 TROPICAL NATUREprotective, serv
- Page 380 and 381: TROPICAL NATUEEincreasing complexit
- Page 382 and 383: 366 TROPICAL NATUREmale to special
- Page 384 and 385: TROPICAL NATURErunning to its burro
- Page 386 and 387: 370 TROPICAL NATUREturkey, and the
- Page 388 and 389: 372 TROPICAL NATUREghost-moth may r
- Page 390 and 391: 374 TROPICAL NATUREwhite companions
- Page 392 and 393: 376 TROPICAL NATUREtion, and what m
- Page 394 and 395: 378 TROPICAL NATURENatural Selectio
- Page 396 and 397: TROPICAL NATUREaway with the rapidi
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v COLOURS OF ANIMALS 339a marvellous and ever-changing picture. In contrast withthese broad and soothing tints, we have presented to us inthe vegetable and animal worlds an infinite variety of objectsadorned with the most beautiful and most varied hues.Flowers, insects, and birds are the organisms most generallyornamented in thisway and their ; symmetry of form, theirvariety of structure, and the lavish abundance with whichthey clothe and enliven the earth, cause them to be objectsof universal admiration. The relation of this wealth of colourto our mental and moral nature is indisputable. The childand the savage alike admire the gay tints of flower, bird,and insect ;while to many of us their contemplation brings asolace and enjoyment which is both intellectually and morallybeneficial. It can then hardly excite surprise that this relationwas long thought to afford a sufficient explanation of thephenomena of colour in nature and; although the fact thatFull many a flower is born to blush unseen,And waste its sweetness on the desert air,might seem to throw some doubt on the sufficiency of theexplanation, the answer was easy, that in the progress ofdiscovery man would, sooner or later, find out and enjoyevery beauty that the hidden recesses of the earth have instore for him. This theory received great support from thedifficulty of conceiving any other use or meaning in thecolours with which so many natural objects are adorned.Why should the homely gorse be clothed in golden raiment,and the prickly cactus be adorned with crimson bells ?Whyshould our fields be gay with buttercups, and the heather-cladmountains be clad in purple robes Why ? should every landproduce its own peculiar floral gems, and the alpine rocksglow with beauty, if not for the contemplation and enjoymentof man ? What could be the use to the butterfly of its gailypaintedwings, or to the humming-bird of its jewelled breast,except to add the final touches to a world-picture, calculated atonce to please and to refine mankind ? And even now, with all ourrecently acquired knowledge of this subject, who shall say thatthese old-world views were not intrinsically and fundamentallysound; and that, although we now know that colour has "uses"in nature that we little dreamt of, yet the relation of thosecolours or rather of the various rays of light to our senses