PROTECTIVE COLORATION 517 



is at least neetl of very «>Teat caution in deciding that either 

 represents obliterative coh)ration of a sort that benefits the 

 creature in catching its prey. Siniihirly, to say that white herons 

 and pehcans and roseate-colomed Hamingoes and spoon-bills are 

 helped bv their coloration, when other birds tliat live exactly in 

 the same fashion and just as successfully, are black, or brown, or 

 black and white, or grey, or green, or blue, certainly represents 

 mere presumption, as yet unaccompanied by a vestige of proof, 

 and probably lepresents error. 'I'here is probably imuh in the 

 general theory of concealment coloration, but it is not possible to 

 say how much until it is thoroughly tested by men who do not 

 violate the advice of the French scientific professor to his pupils: 

 " Above all things remend)or in the course of youi' investigations 

 that if you determine to find out something you will probably 

 do so." 



I have dealt chiefiy with big game. IJut I think it high 

 time that sober scientific men desirous to find out facts should 

 not leave this c|uestion of concealing coloration or piotec- 

 tive coloration to theorists who, however able, become so 

 interested in their theory that they lose the capacity to state facts 

 exactly. Mr. Thayer and the various gentlemen who .share his 

 views have undoubtedly made some very interesting discoveries, 

 and it may well be that these discoveries are of widespread impor- 

 tance. But they nnist be most carefully weighed, considered, and 

 corrected by capable scientific men before it is possible to say how 

 far the theory applies and what limitations there are to it. At 

 present all tihat is absolutely certain is that it does not apply 

 anywhere near as extensively as Mr. Thayer alleges, and that he 

 is so completely mistaken as to some of his facts as to make it 

 necessary carefully to reconsider most of the others. I have 

 shown that as regards most kinds of big game which inhabit 

 open places and do not seek to escape observation, but trust 

 to their own wariness for protection, his theories do not apply at 

 all. They certainly do not apply at all to various other mammals. 

 Many of his sweeping assertions are certainly not always true, and 

 may not be true in even a very small number of ca.ses. Thus, in 

 his introduction, Mr. Thayer says of birds that the so-called 

 " nuptial colours, etc., are confined to situations where the same 

 colours are to be found in the wearer's background, either at certain 

 periods of his life or all the time," and that apparently not one of 

 these colours " exists anywhere in the world where there is not 

 every reason to believe it the very best conceivable device for the 

 concealment of its wearer, either throughout the main part of this 

 wearer's life or under certain peculiarly im})ortant circumstances.'' 

 It is really difficult to argue al)out a statement .so fiatly contra- 

 dicted by ordinary experience. Taking at random two of the 



