COLOR-PROTECTION 109 



Color 



As noted, color comes in as a charming feature. 

 Often the males are much the brighter. In the tor- 

 toise-forms the sexes are alike, but both are often 

 beautifully marked and tinted. We can see this in 

 tortoise-shell. Crocodiles are not especially charm- 

 ing in this respect, but many lizards are gorgeously 

 colored. This is apt to be the case with tree-haunting 

 forms, just as it is likewise among the arboreal snakes 

 also that the brilliant colors and remarkable patterns 

 are found. We can not even name the instances in 

 either group. The family known as the Elapidce 

 (genera Elajys) — of which the little coral snake of the 

 Southern States is our only member, but which are 

 very abundant and very poisonous in South America 

 — take on in rings, spots, and blotches all the brilliant 

 reds, yellows, etc., of the most dazzling ribbon. 



COLOR-PROTECTION 



In the tropics many of these brilliant colors are 

 protective, because the strong greens of the tree- 

 snakes may resemble leaves or grass, and the other 

 brilliant hues resemble flowers and fruit. In per- 

 haps a few instances the patterns may imitate some- 

 thing surrounding, as it is so well known to do 

 in many insects and some birds. One snake is 

 especially noted as having its scales colored in 

 groups of fives which are strung along the back 

 and resemble the petals of a flower; so that hang- 

 ing in a tree it may r.ppear as a festoon of bios- 



