<J2 ANIMAL COLORATION. 



The Gold pheasant, which is always well represented in the 

 Zoological Gardens, and is undoubtedly, as are the pheasant 

 tribe generally, one of the most beautifully and strikingly 

 coloured of birds, is found in the temperate regions of China ; 

 many brightly coloured pheasants have a similar range into 

 temperate climates. Mr. Wallace has instanced the Gold 

 pheasant and also the tiger, which, although found in the 

 tropics, ranges into the Amur, to the extreme north of (Jhina; 

 we have also the deep-sea fauna (see p. 32), which are 

 brilliantly coloured and yet live in absolute darkness. It is, 

 therefore, impossible to trace any general connection between 

 brilliancy of coloration and light. 



Nevertheless, in certain cases there appears to be a con- 

 nection between light and colour ; the connection is, however, 

 rather betwee'n absence or paleness of colour and absence of 

 light, than between brilliancy of colour and abundance of 

 light. 



Colour sometimes dependent upon Light. 



It is perfectly true that there is not always an intimate 

 connection between light and colour ; the instances already 

 given show that this is the case in a sufficiently striking way. 

 Nevertheless, there are some instances which point exactly in 

 the opposite direction, showing how difficult it is to generalise. 



Werneburg* has given a number of examples of Lepidoptera 

 which go to show that light has an important effect during 

 the formation of the pigment that is, in the pupal state. 



As a general rule, those insects whose pupas are exposed are 

 brighter in colour than those insects whose pupte are concealed, 

 either in the ground or in a dense cocoon. Contrast, for 

 .instance, the bright colours of the Vanessidas the " Red 



* Quoted by Seitz Zoolofi. Jahrbiicher, vol. v. 



