TRACKS AND TRACKING 



even blinded, he would leap true. The strong- 

 est argument against such a fantastic theory, 

 however, is that in the daytime, as well as 

 in many situations at night, when the trees 

 or hillsides cut out the sky, the flashing tail 

 does not obliterate, but renders much more 

 conspicuous its owner, even to the crouching 

 foe. I once saw two deer at dusk in a meadow 

 surrounded by woods. The light was so poor 

 that I could hardly distinguish the creatures 

 until in alarm they raised their white tails. 

 Even when I assumed the position of the 

 '' crouching wolf," the white tails were most 

 conspicuous and advertised the deer. It was 

 impossible to bring the tails against the sky. 

 If there were not some other reason for this 

 flashing tail it would on account of its con- 

 spicuousness long ago have been itself oblit- 

 erated by natural selection. There are many 

 facts in nature that are difficult to miderstand, 

 and it is far better to admit ignorance than 

 to accept an untenable theory. In the case 

 of this deer, however, as in the case of other 

 creatures similarly marked, the theory that 

 the white spot is intended to be conspicuous 

 and to be used as a directive mark or as a 

 danger-signal to others of the same species 



43 



