If Such An Extraordinary Adaptation As This Stood Alone, It Would
Be Very Difficult To Offer Any Explanation Of It;
But although it
is perhaps the most perfect case of protective imitation known,
there are hundreds of similar resemblances in
Nature, and from
these it is possible to deduce a general theory of the manner in
which they have been slowly brought about. The principle of
variation and that of "natural selection," or survival of the
fittest, as elaborated by Mr. Darwin in his celebrated "Origin of
Species," offers the foundation for such a theory; and I have
myself endeavoured to apply it to all the chief cases of
imitation in an article published in the "Westminster Review" for
1867, entitled, "Mimicry, and other Protective Resemblances
Among Animals," to which any reader is referred who wishes to
know more about this subject.
In Sumatra, monkeys are very abundant, and at Lobo Kaman they
used to frequent the trees which overhang the guard-house, and
give me a fine opportunity of observing their gambols. Two
species of Semnopithecus were most plentiful - monkeys of a
slender form, with very long tails. Not being much shot at they
are rather bold, and remain quite unconcerned when natives alone
are present; but when I came out to look at them, they would
stare for a minute or two and then make off. They take tremendous
leaps from the branches of one tree to those at another a little
lower, and it is very amusing when a one strong leader takes a
bold jump, to see the others following with more or less
trepidation; and it often happens that one or two of the last
seem quite unable to make up their minds to leap until the rest
are disappearing, when, as if in desperation at being left alone,
they throw themselves frantically into the air, and often go
crashing through the slender branches and fall to the ground.
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