412 proceedings: biological society 



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chemical, and a mixture of two of these. The basic pigmentation was 

 considered as composed of blackish, reddish, and yellowish cells, the 

 latter being much subdued and principally diluting the others. This 

 coloration group was classed as physiological, in contradistinction to 

 all other tints, colors, and glossiness, which were considered as psycho- 

 logical results due to semi-consciousness, especially to eyesight, food, and 

 certain phases of light. 



This arrangement was based on the experience of the speaker on the 

 forest slopes of Mt. Gede, in western Java, where it was found that 

 non-glossy, dark and dingy colored birds were confined almost entirely 

 to a habitat of damp dense ground-cover vegetation, while those clothed 

 in more or less brilliant colors were inhabitants of the intermediate areas 

 above the ground cover and below the dense canopy of the branches of 

 the tall forest growth. 



In the tops of the forest trees a different type of coloration was evi- 

 dent; glossy blacks, whites, and grays were exclusively characteristic, 

 or predominant. These types of coloration were continued down into 

 the lowlands in the same order but with different species or genera, and 

 with the tree-top spreading through the more open and drier areas of 

 the lowlands to near and on the ground. 



Less definite intermediate areas between the ground cover and the 

 tree tops, less dense, or with a different vegetation, were shown to be 

 habitats of birds largely green or yellow, the res-ult being that the gen- 

 eral and special coloration of a bird clearly indicates its habitat, appar- 

 ent exceptions having been greatly influenced by other factors. 



A correlation was made of these distributional results with the birds 

 of eastern North America, which were considered as governed by the 

 same influences, though forest changes in recent times have compli- 

 cated the question. 



The coloration of other animals is governed by the same laws with 

 similar results, so that where white, glossy black, bright and highly 

 colored areas exist on animals, it is due to psychological progressive 

 adaptations, based on a less complex and simpler dull coloration to be 

 considered as basic, primitive, and thus more purely physiological in 

 contrast. (Author's abstract.) 



Mr. Palmer's communication was discussed by E. W. Nelson and 

 Hon. George Shiras 3d. 



M. W. Lyon, Jr., Recording Secretary. 



