320 Mr. P. R. Lowe on Coloration as a Factor in 



XV. — Coloration as a Factor in Family and Generic Differen- 

 tiation. By Percy R. Lowe, B.A , M.B., M.B.O.U.^. 



I SHOULD like to state at once that in the few remarks which 

 I propose to make on the subject of to-night^s discussion, it 

 is no part of my plan to attempt in any way to upset the 

 established characters and methods which are employed in 

 generic differentiation or to substitute for these some brand- 

 new scheme based on colour-characters. Such a proceeding 

 Avould be both futile and foolish. All I wish to accentuate 

 is this — that colour-pattern seems to be a very important 

 feature in generic differentiation, which has been, I cannot 

 liclp thinking, unnecessarily neglected, looked down upon, or 

 ignored, I believe not only that colour-pattern furnishes, 

 in many instances, an important clue to the phylogenetic 

 relationships of various groups of species, but that it would, 

 if properly applied, enable us to get a practical and working 

 idea of the limits of genera. 



I believe, in a word, that the employment of the factor of 

 colour-pattern in generic differentiation would act, in many 

 instances, in the way, so to speak, of a control experiment 

 by which w^e might either substantiate or correct previous 

 estimates of generic groups which have been based on such 

 characters as are usually employed. 



Applied in a systematic way to all the genera which exist 

 at the present time throughout the whole class of Birds, I 

 cannot help thinking that many of these genera would be 

 found either to include too many species or too few. 



Finally, I do not for one moment hold the view that this 

 factor can be universally applied to all genera, or anything 

 like all ; but where it can be used w^ith good results, I 

 can see no possible reason why it should not be applied — and 

 applied, moreover, without fear of laying ourselves open to 

 the charge of mere amateurism. 



* A discourse delivered to the British Ornithologists' Chib, February 

 10, 1915. 



