SOME NEW BOOKS 



Animal Coloration. By Frank E. Beddard, M.A., F.R.S. Pp. 288, with four 

 coloured plates and woodcuts. London ; Swan Sonnenschein & Co., 1892. 

 Price, los. fid. 



Thk author of the abo\'e work resembles the enterprising advertiser, 

 in that he supplies a long-felt want, and differs from him by not 

 having any unfailing nostrum to inflict on suffering and scientific 

 humanity ; for Mr. Beddard aims in his book rather at an impartial 

 resume of the facts for the benefit of the intelligent lay reader, than at 

 the promulgation of any new scientific views on this difficult subject. 

 It must not be supposed that because the aim of the book is popular 

 it is not of serious scientific value, for in addition to many new facts 

 it gives an all-round account of the facts of coloration as at present 

 known, which is invaluable for reference. A general review of these 

 opens the book, and occupies a long introductory chapter. The direct 

 influence of environment of coloration is next dealt with at con- 

 siderable length, and many interesting facts are adduced to show that this, 

 and not Natural Selection, is tlie cause to be assigned for some groups of 

 colour phenomena. Sucli are the loss of colour in the Scarlet Ibis in 

 confinement, and the heightening of it in the cayenne-fed canary ; the 

 influence of humidity in producing dark colours in insects and 

 reptiles ; the existence of brilliantly-coloured animals out of the 

 tropics; and so forth. It is well remarked, with reference to some 

 colour changes, which appear to correspond to the seasons, that 

 these may have some connection with the renewal and decadence of 

 sexual activity. It has been stated with regard to male ducks, 

 which, curiously enough, lose their bright plumage at the commence- 

 ment of summer, that this change does not take place in unpaired 

 birds. In the next chapter, which deals with protective coloration, 

 comes an instance which might, perhaps, be to some extent placed 

 under the former category, namely, the general tawny colour of 

 desert animals, which might possibly be to some extent due to 

 bleaching ; pigeons of a tawny colour, for instance, being much 

 afTected by exposure to the sun. 



It is well said that one would rather expect brilliant coloration 

 to be the rule among nocturnal insects, seeing that all colours 

 would be invisible at night, and the most glaring do their possessors 

 no harm. Yet tlie dull colours of moths, as distinguished from 

 butterflies, are among the tritest of zoological commonplaces, and 

 Mr. Beddard's suggestion that their reference is to protection in the 

 daytime seems very reasonal:>le. While admitting the wonderful 

 special resemblances exhibited by many animals, such as the giraffe 

 and the Lappet moth, to their surroundings, Mr. Beddard very 

 pertinently asks whether, as a matter of fact, animals are concealed 

 by their protective resemblances from their foes, and points out that a 

 complete answer to this cannot yet be given ; for, as he shows, there is 

 always too great a tendency to endow animals with senses exactly similar 



