But the researches of Mr. Darwin totally changed our point of view in
this matter. He showed, clearly, that some of the colours of animals are
useful, some hurtful to them; and he believed that many of the most
brilliant colours were developed by sexual choice; while his great
general principle, that all the fixed characters of organic beings have
been developed under the action of the law of utility, led to the
inevitable conclusion that so remarkable and conspicuous a character as
colour, which so often constitutes the most obvious distinction of
species from species, or group from group, must also have arisen from
survival of the fittest, and must, therefore, in most cases have some
relation to the wellbeing of its possessors. Continuous observation and
research, carried on by multitudes of observers during the last thirty
years, have shown this to be the case; but the problem is found to be
far more complex than was at first supposed. The modes in which colour
is of use to different classes of organisms is very varied, and have
probably not yet been all discovered; while the infinite variety and
marvellous beauty of some of its developments are such as to render it
hopeless to arrive at a complete and satisfactory explanation of every
individual case.
Pages:
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358