The Body of a Bird 



303 



wondered, when I saw mounted specimens in museums, 

 with what special immunity from danger these birds 

 were blessed, their beautiful colouring would seem to be 

 such a startling advertisement of the bird's whereabouts. 

 But in reality the very diversity in hue is their protec- 

 tion, and they merge per- 

 fectly into their environ- 

 ment of green foliage and 

 bright sunlight." 



Indeed absolute uniform- 

 ity of coloration instantly 

 reveals the outline of the 

 bird entire, and renders it 

 very conspicuous. Birds 

 which have but few ene- 

 mies are often thus mono- 

 crome in hue. But look 

 at the photographs and 

 see how a broken colora- 

 tion baffles the eve. If 



Fig. 240. 



-Brown Creeper circling up the 

 trunk of a spruce. 



the Sooty Tern, Fig. 238, were totally black, it would 

 be conspicuous even against a patch of dark-coloured 

 mottled shingle. But the transverse lines of white across 

 the back totally destro}' the symmetry of form, while 

 the white wing-edges fairly force the eye to call them, 

 not part of a bird sheltering her eggs, but only two among 

 a myriad irregular edges of coral rock! 



Observe closely the seven young Flickers clingmg to 

 their natal stump. As the warriors of Jason sprang forth 

 from the ground full}^ armed, so the ver}^ bark, mottled 



