28 BIRDS THROUGH AN OPERA-GLASS. 
Shades of short hair and bloomers, what an in- 
novation! How the birds must gossip! Instead 
of the light-colored shirt and vest and decorous 
dark coat sanctioned by the Worth of conven- 
tional bird circles for centuries, this radical decks 
himself out in a jet-black shirt and vest, with not 
so much as a white collar to redeem him; besides 
having all of four almost white patches on the 
back of his coat! But don’t berate him — who 
knows but this unique coloring 1s due to a process 
unrecognized by the Parisian Worth, but desig- 
nated by Mr. Darwin as “adaptation”? Most 
field birds are protected by sparrowy backs, and 
with his black back, the tendency certainly seems 
to be to lessen the striking effect with lighter col- 
ors, leaving the breast, which is unseen when he 
