 The artist Abbott Handerson Thayer formulated what is sometimes called Thayer 's Law , the principle of countershading . However , he overstated the case in the 1909 book Concealing @-@ Coloration in the Animal Kingdom , arguing that " All patterns and colors whatsoever of all animals that ever preyed or are preyed on are under certain normal circumstances obliterative " ( that is , cryptic camouflage ) , and that " Not one ' mimicry ' mark , not one ' warning color ' ... nor any ' sexually selected ' color , exists anywhere in the world where there is not every reason to believe it the very best conceivable device for the concealment of its wearer " , and using paintings such as Peacock in the Woods ( 1907 ) to reinforce his argument . Thayer was roundly mocked for these views by critics including Teddy Roosevelt . 
