554 Mr. A. H. Thayer 07i 



is just so much representation of some structure, whether 

 the representation be accidental or intentional. He sees 

 at a glance in marble- veins, the grain of wood, etc., not 

 imaginary, but actual representations of natural objects 

 and perspectives, and weighs the correctness of these. 

 Nature has evolved actual Art on the bodies of animals, 

 and only an artist can read it. When he examines the 

 colour and colour-pattern of the animal kingdom, he sees 

 that zoologists are hopelessly off the track in their general 

 conception as to which coloration is to be called con- 

 spicuous, i. c. rendering its wearer so. Any coloration 

 or pattern would be conspicuous somewhere, and Nature 

 cannot prevent animals from straying beyond the environ- 

 ments that would most perfectly harmonize with their 

 colour and pattern. But let us take the broadest possible 

 survey, and we cannot doubt that most animals wear on 

 their coats pictures of their habitat. As I before pointed 

 out, even the under-sides of the wings and tails of liawks bear 

 the general twig-patterns so common on forest birds, as if 

 Nature found it worth while to efface the white silhouette 

 their wings' under-sides would make when they extended 

 them while perching. We see how completely such 

 patterns (when couched, of course, as they always are, in 

 the effacive gradation) do help to obliterate a partridge, 

 grouse, woodcock, hare, or any other of almost all the 

 species in every order ; since they prove to be actual 

 animated "pictures of their environment. As I said before, 

 in my paper on so-called " Banner-marks," * tliese forest- 

 like patterns are found on forest creatures, and not on 

 desert creatures, or ocean creatures. Sand-birds are usuall}' 

 marked in longitudinal, delicate patterns, very like those 

 the sand assumes when seen at the same angle at which 

 one observes the birds themselves. Tigers and zebras are 

 resolved into pictures of tall, strong flags, grasses, and 

 bamboos, while the lion is a picture of the desert. (It 

 will some day be plainly understood that the effacive 

 gradation is the essence of the success of these pat- 

 terns. Were they not arranged to coinpose one perfect 

 counter-gradation, from top-dark to under-white, they would 

 appear merely as what artists call " lines of quantity," 

 like the hoops of a barrel, em2)hasizing the rotundity, not 

 effacing it.) 



Now, let me prove that any pattern would somewhere be 

 * ' The Auk,' vol. xvii, 1900, p. 108. 



