■ON THE VARIETIES OF ANIMALS. 2.0<) 



Probably there are none which are not liable to such accidents of birth or growth. 

 While, however, in some species, the variation is only occasional or rare, in others 

 it is exceedingly frequent and common, and in others, again, the natural ap- 

 pearance seems almost to form the exception to the rule of variety which affects 

 almost every individual of the kind, no two, sometimes, appearing to be exactly 

 similar. This is evidently the case with many species of Moths and Butterflies, 

 and has often given rise to the sub-division of one and the same species, to the 

 confusion of science, and the trouble of more accurate and discriminating ento- 

 mologists. 



It has been said, indeed, that no two individuals of any kind of creature have ever 

 been exactly alike in every respect, and this probably may be the case ; but my 

 object now is not to examine into the laws which constitute a variety, but to 

 mention some remarkable instances which have come under my observation, or to 

 my knowledge, chiefly with the view of ascertaining the species which are sub- 

 ject to variety, and to instance any that are not. One of the most remarkable of these, 

 I shall mention first. It is a milk-white Jay, in the possession of Mr. Hugh 

 Reid of Doncaster, one or two small feathers in the wing having a slight tint 

 ©f the blue which is peculiar to that part. It is not full grown, but is in fine 

 feather and plumage, and was procured, I believe, somewhere in this neighbour- 

 hood. Another very curious bird, in the possession of the same individual, is a 

 Cucoo,* of a general dark cream colour, with distinct markings of a darker shade 

 upon the back. The Sparrow is met with under very different variations of 

 plumage. Some I have seen nearly black, but these may have been somewhat 

 begrimed with soot or smoke, though I believe there is a distinct black variety. 

 I have one with several pure white blotches on the back, and over the tail, and 

 with the quills of the wings and the tail mostly white ; this I shot myself in 

 Cheshire, after a fortnight's pursuit. Another in my collection was shot by a 

 friend of mine at Paington, in Devonshire, and has the head and neck white 

 slightly approaching to cream colour, with much white over the rest of its body, 

 and possessing very few brown feathers. I have also known one of a dark cream 

 colour, and Mr. Reid informs me he has had another entirely white. I have 

 seen a white Swallow on the wing, and another is in the possession of Lord Hawkb 

 [of Womersley Hall, in this county. — Ed.]. I have seen a cream-coloured Lark, 

 rather darker on the back than in the rest of the plumage. Mr. Reid says that 

 he has known one entirely white. He has in his possession a Jackdaw with the 

 long quill feathers of the wing white, and one or two white feathers on the neck. 

 Also a Partridge with a dull white breast, belly, and vent ; the outside quill 

 feathers of the wing the same, and the shoulders with a ring of the same colour 



* Lest this should be supposed to be an error of the press, we take this opportunity of observing 

 that the above method of spelling the word is that usually adopted by Mr. Morris._Ed. 



