COLOR CALLS AMONG THE BIRDS. 55 
rabbit), perhaps, an exemplary parent and brother, and 
led his little family around and guided it in safety to 
the burrow. But now his altruism is 
only a vestige. He has become tray- 
eled and selfish, and learned to 
make a tramplike bed for each 
night’s rest in a new re- 
gion. Farther away 
from home (out West 
and South) the cottony 
signal is growing dull, 
and Nature stamps on 
his very fur the ten- 
dency of his feelings. 
Birds strikingly ex- 
hibit these social or sig- 
nal colors on various parts 
of the body. They may 
be conspicuous head mark- 
ings, as in some plovers ; 
throat patches, as in our Bob- 
white and wild (Canada) goose ; 
rump spots, as in the flicker or Lapwing. 
lapwing ; various tail spots, tips, 
or blotches, or the entire whiteness of one or more 
tail feathers ; wholly or partially white feathers among 
the wing quills, or white blotches or bars upon the 
smaller feathers of the wing—more conspicuous usu- 
ally when spread in flight. There are many other 
forms—the entire wing or back or some other part 
being conspicuous, 

