THE SCARLET TAN ACER. 263 



the young male a beautiful dark green, with black wings 

 and tail, the young fen)ale resembling her mother. Winter- 

 ing in the tropics, they range northward in spring, through 

 the Eastern United States, somewhat into the British 

 Provinces, though becoming rare already in Northern New 

 England. They breed throughout their range. 



The observer of birds will soon notice that in about every 

 case of a brilliant male, the female is exceedingly plain, as 

 are also the young. Here is one of those suggestive facts, 

 which lead the reflecting mind to ask the reason why. 

 This does not look like mere chance; moreover, it serves a 

 purpose. Excepting a brief period in the breeding season, 

 the life of the female is of immensely greater importance 

 to the perpetuation of the species than that of the male ; 

 and the young, all unsuspecting of danger, need special pro- 

 tection. Their plain colors render them alike unattractive 

 to the eye of man, and inconspicuous to the bird or beast of 

 prey. Even the male sometimes has his gay livery only in 

 the breeding season, thus being protected in his southern 

 migration and early winter residence. Can any ingenious 

 conjecture of "Natural Selection" explain this significant 

 fact in coloration ? Is not this an evidence of mind in the 

 creation ? Or will the objector attribute a faculty of con- 

 scious design to matter itself ? Might he not then as well 

 believe in a personal Creative Intelligence ? How else shall 

 we explain this mysterious something revealed in matter, 

 which seems to know just what is fit under all circum- 

 stances ? 



Similar to the above is the Summer Redbird {Fyranga 

 CBstiva). The length is 7.-20, the stretch 11.87; the male is 

 vermilion, brightest on the head, darker on the back, bright 

 beneath; wings and tail brownish. The female is olivaceous- 

 green above, yellowish below, wings darker or brownish. 



