WAKN1NU COLORATION. 179 



. Hudson, however, thinks that this does not necessarily 

 that, the birds of prey and the pumas feed upon skunks 

 habitually ; for the smell of the skunk " is so marvellously 

 persistent, that one or two such attacks a year on the part of 

 rach eagle would be enough to account for the smell on so 

 many birds." But it clearly does show that their lives are 

 not passed in absolute peace. 



There are a considerable number of species of skunks (a 

 dozen or so), and thev are all white, or yellowish and 



v / 



black. * 



Mr. Wallace has pointed out the slow, leisurely movements 

 of the large skunk (Mephitis mepliitica'), which are the result, 

 he thinks, of its freedom from persecution ; armed with its 

 offensive secretion, the presence of which is so strikingly 

 advertised, it has no need for unduly hurrying itself. Some 

 of the smaller skunks, however, which have been placed in 

 a separate genus Spilogcde are spoken of by Dr. Merriam 

 as being " active " and " agile " ; they are also arboreal in 

 habit, and would therefore perhaps have fewer enemies than 

 the ground skunks. Nevertheless the coloration of Spilogale 

 is similar in principle to that of Mephitis. With regard to the 

 colour of these animals, it is stated that in the young the 

 colours are intense black and pure white ; as age advances 

 the black becomes browner and the white creamier. This 

 fact, however, is quite in accord with the application of the 

 theory of warning colours to the skunk ; they might be 

 reasonably supposed to need more protection when young 

 than when older and better able to -fight. 



Warning Coloration in Other Mammals. 



There are other mammals coloured black and white, and 

 Therefore highly conspicuous in their usual surroundings ; 



