32.2 Mr. P. 11. Lowe on Coloratioji as a Factor in 



The upper parts of Auks, Guillemots, and Shearwaters, 

 for instance, are some dark shade of slaty-blue or black, and 

 their underparts are white ; and this coloration has pre- 

 sumably been impressed upon them for the sole purpose of 

 harmony with the elements in which they live ; but we may 

 take it for granted that no ornithologist would attach the 

 smallest importance to this resemblance in coloratiou from 

 the point of view of relationship, or would conceive for one 

 moment that the Shearwaters were related to the Auks — 

 nor would it incline us of itself and by itself to include the 

 Auks and Guillemots in the same genus. 



Again, as regards mere depths of tones and shades of 

 coloration, I may remind you, as an example of the super- 

 ficial nature of such coloration, of the case of the European 

 Goldfinch, which was introduced into the Bermudas some- 

 where about the year 1870. 



These Finches have within this very recent historical 

 period acquired such a very dark tint as regards their upper 

 parts that Mr, Kennedy has not hesitated to differentiate 

 them as a distinct subspecies. 



It is very difficult to think that this phenomenon of color- 

 ation in the Bermudan Goldfinches is anything else than a 

 superficial, physiological and non-heritable response to a 

 change of environment or to mere segregation. It is 

 a, fluctuational variation. 



But, on the other hand, reverting to the subject of colour- 

 pattern, take the case of the Ringed Plover association. We 

 are all familiar with the very constant type of colour-pattern 

 characteristic of this very widespread and cosmopolitan 

 group. We know that the head and breast of any one 

 species exhibits in a more or less perfect condition a 

 thoroughly stereotyped reproduction of the colour-pattern 

 of any other species, no matter how many thousands of miles 

 of ocean may separate them, and whether those species are 

 found in the old or new worlds, or occur on the mainland or 

 on isolated islands. 



I will not detain you with any details of this colour-pattern ; 

 but what I want to emphasise here is this — Could anyone 



