122 Math-ev/s, The Admission of Colour-Genera. [isf"oct. 



certain Australian Parrots would show similarity, thus: — "The 

 Trogon peculiar to Cuba, for instance, is in reality a very con- 

 spicuously-coloured bird ; yet I have found it at times very 

 difificult to find in the forests, although I happened to know that 

 I was within a few yards of one from having heard its peculiar 

 Pheasant-hke cry. The reason for this was that the brilliant 

 scarlet of its under parts was apparently confused with the scarlet 

 inflorescence of certain arboreal and parasitic plants which were 

 common. The Trogon had, in fact, unconsciously ' adapted 

 itself ' to its scarlet-tinted surroundings ; for it is to me quite an 

 unthinkable proposition to suppose that these scarlet-coloured 

 epiphytes could by any conceivable means have so affected the 

 germ-cells of these Trogons that they were induced to respond 

 in sympathy with their environment. Yet this is exactly what 

 we are oft^n asked to believe. On the contrary, the germ-cell 

 produced the scarlet area, and the Trogon has made, so to speak, 

 the best of a bad job." 



Dr. Lowe's view seems very acceptable, and Australians might 

 investigate the habitats of some of the highly-coloured Parrots,* 

 Superb Warblers, Sanguineous Honey-eater, &c. The result of 

 such studies would be well worthy of publication, and no 

 " slaughter " of bird-life is required at all in such pursuits. 



3. The constancy and persistence of colottr- pattern. 



Dr. Lowe's examples were Ringed Plovers, East Indian Cuckoos, 

 and South American Caciques. My example of Pachycephala will 

 show this well. 



4. The correlation of colour-pattern with geographical or faitnal 

 areas. 



Dr. Lowe cited the genus Ccereba, which he had previously 

 thoroughly studied, and then added examples I have already 

 commented upon, the Stone-Curlews, and Oyster-catchers. Here 

 again Dr. Lowe showed nestlings, while I laid stress upon adult 

 coloration. The fact that the adults were so similarly coloured, 

 while in the former case structural differences had been evolved, 

 was not noticed by Dr. Lowe, so that here again we have strong 

 confirmation by independent workers, when such deal with a 

 subject without prejudice. For the bane of British ornithology for 

 the last thirty years has been prejudice. This is clearly seen 

 from the writings alone of British workers, and now such pre- 

 judice is being overcome, and I anticipate better work in the 

 next thirty years. f 



5. The correlation of colour- pattern to sex. 



The fact that the male is often more brightly coloured than 

 the female was put forward as a difficulty which lessens the value 



* At the R.A.O.U. Warunda camp-out, Eyre Peninsula, South Australia, 

 in 1909, the Blue Mountain Parrots, " ' noble birds, gorgeously apparelled,' 

 . . . keenly and noisily resented our curiosity, and screeched much as we 

 tried to discover them amongst the green foliage. Though so gaudy, they 

 were picked out with difficulty." — " An Australian Bird Book," 191 :, p. 90. 



f Mr. Mathews is alone responsible for personal opinions expressed in 

 different parts of this paper. — Eds. 



