Animal coloration : an account of the principal facts and theories relating to the colours and markings of animals / by Frank E. Beddard ; with four coloured plates; and woodcuts in the text.

  • Frank Evers Beddard
Date:
1892
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Animal coloration : an account of the principal facts and theories relating to the colours and markings of animals / by Frank E. Beddard ; with four coloured plates; and woodcuts in the text. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    other tree-frequenting birds, lmt this colour does not occur in plenty of other genera and families which equally live among trees. Green appears to bean impossible colour among rodents and marsupials, and, indeed, among mammals in general, to which rule the “green” Cercopithecus and the sloth* are hardly exceptions. The Echinoderms as a group are distinguished by shades of a brown or red to a purple coloration ; but the wide distribution of certain colours is, perhaps, most strikingly shown in the Mammalia. Among butterflies we meet with the same thing. The Lycamuke (“Bines”) are generally, as their name denotes, blue ; but they are also characterised by the eye-spots on the under surface of the wings. The mottling of the underwings of the Vanessidm is another example ; so, also, is the “ silver¬ ing” of the underwings of the friti 1 laries, and the tawny coloration of the upper surface. Besides, constancy of colour occurs among animals where it can hardly be of much use. It would be difficult to sav in what way one species of earthworm is profited by having a bluish purple coloration, another in having a decidedly greenish tinge, and a third in being bright red. And yet it is perfectly possible to distinguish species by their coloration, as any one who takes a walk after a rainy night may see for himself. The earthworm has enemies above ground as well as below : the colours could obviously not be seen below ground ; and it has yet to Ik* proved that the rook, as he follows the ]dough, exercises a deliberate choice in the colour of the worms which are selected as food. Moreover, the same colours are met with in earthworms inhabiting different parts of the world, and as unlike in structure as they can be : this would * See, for the real cause of the green colour of the Sloth, p. 9G.
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