Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 4 (1900).djvu/59

Rh the steep bank, so that the bird was not in a very comfortable posture. The Thrush does not habitually turn its breast toward an observer, and in this case the reason for the behaviour of the bird hardly needs arguing. I was certainly not more than twelve feet from it.

With regard to physical mimicry generally, I would suggest (at the risk of ridicule) that there may be some occult influence causing animals to resemble things that they like, be those things mates or surrounding substances. I am aware that the sexual passion is not credited with this effect, but we know that breeders of prize poultry are careful to keep their male birds from running with birds not of the same variety, because if they do they will "throw" feathers like those of their companions. I have seen this occur in a well-bred East Indian drake that ran with a white Duck, and in a Black Hamburgh that ran with other fowls.

I have also noticed some curious evidence among people. A man who went to a colony early in life, and had control of many people of colour, and who would not be likely to be particular, afterwards married an exceedingly good-looking and quite strong Englishwoman. The first child, a son, was very like a black in all except colour, and yet he resembled his father. The next child had only a faint trace of the same odd resemblance, and the younger children were distinctly handsome. One has quite a reputation for good looks.

I am aware that this suggestion is not scientific, but if a bird throws unusual feathers after having shown a partiality for a strange bird, why should it not throw an unusual feather when it finds that a certain tree or a stone saves it from a Hawk? The dread of an enemy is a more constant sentiment than the love for a mate.

The so-called feigning of death seems to me to have no relation to mimicry, but to an exaggeration of that stillness which so many animals adopt to avoid observation. This stillness may often be seen to be directly proportionate to the imminence of the danger threatened. I used to witness a very clear demonstration of this in the Stickleback (Gasterosteus leiurus). When suddenly alarmed these fishes held themselves curved, the more readily to dart away; but they seemed unable to remain in this position long, and yet they would then retreat not by a slow movement, but by