t 



L ^ 



■^^ ^? 



Adult skimmer, type of revealing coloration, and yonng skimmer, t\|>c of concealing coloration 



Common Sense and Animal Coloration 



ox THK FrTlLITV AND ABSURDITY OF BASINd GENERALIZATIONS 



REOAHDINii THK COLORATION OF ANIMALS FROM BUTTERFLIES 



TO PRONGBUCKS ON OBSERVATIONS OF ONE ISOLATED, 



HIGHLY SPECIALIZED GROUP OF FISHES 



liv T u I-: () I ) ( ) K' !•: K' () ( ) s !•: v h l t 



SOME vt-ars a<:(» I wrote a pajxT^ 

 "liscussing the f|nestioii of con- 

 cfalinof coloration anionic l)irds 

 and nianimal?. It was done in ele- 

 niontarv fasliion, because in its tjroiind- 

 work essentials the question is one of 

 kinder«rarten simplicity. I Jut niitil 

 writers have pas.>Jed the kindi'rLMrtcn 

 stage they are not fit to deal with thr 

 more advanced and intricate phases of 

 the question. The kinderfrartcn stage 



' Bullftin of tlie American Museum of Natural 

 History, August. 1911. 



niustrations from photoeraplis of 



is that ill which rea.^()iial)ly intelligent 

 jMTsons learn that among the higher 

 vertebrates there are thou.<ands of 

 sj)eeies with coneealing coloration, and 

 thousands with revealing coloration. 

 Until this fact is grasped in such man- 

 ner that all discussion about it isseento 

 he as siiperllnous as discussion whether 

 the earth goes around the sun, there is 

 no use trying t<t deal with the more in- 

 tricate develojmients of the matter. But 

 as tlie (piestion .<eems to invite confusion 

 of Miind among (piite ;i miiiiber of pcr- 



■xliiliits in till' .Vnierican Museum 



211 



