WOODCOCK AND SNIPE 281 



complete as that acquired by the possessor of the magic fern seed : it 

 is what Professor Poulton calls an " aphanistic " or " obliterative " 

 coloration evolved, as some would say, for protective purposes. But 

 the use of the word purpose in this connection is misleading. As well 

 might we say that the smooth edges of a rock have been formed for 

 the purpose of enabling the water rain, or waves as the case may 

 be to run off easily ! The smooth edges are made by the water, not 

 for it. Similarly the russet hues of snipe and woodcock have been 

 determined by the forces of the environment : there has been no goal 

 to be attained : the birds have acquired their peculiar likeness to 

 their surroundings, when at rest, as a result of the action of natural 

 selection, which gave over, for a prey to the hawk, the fox, and the 

 polecat, all which, by reason of their inherent tendencies, developed 

 coloured areas tending to make the wearers conspicuous. 



The woodcock and our three species of Snipe afford admirable 

 illustrations of " protective obliterative resemblance," that is to say, of 

 a coloration which confers protection on an otherwise defenceless bird. 

 The hue and the pattern of this coloration differs in each as their 

 habitat differs, and more especially as their breeding habitat differs, 

 thus indicating what we may call the " incidence " of selection. The 

 woodcock, as its name suggests, is generally a dweller in the woods, 

 and seems especially partial to such as contain a fair number of oaks ; 

 the Snipe, on the contrary, prefers the more open marshland. Hence 

 we may explain the peculiarities of coloration and pattern already 

 referred to. In the woodcock, it will be remembered, the russet 

 ground-colour of the upper parts is variegated with bars and blotches 

 of black and silver broad transverse bars of black across the crown, 

 blotches of black along the back. But stripes, too, are present, though 

 these are not by any means a striking feature of the plumage, as in 

 the snipe. These markings occur as a broad line of dark brown 

 running from the beak to the eye, and a longitudinal band of lichen- 

 grey, sometimes rather golden grey, on either side of the back. In 

 some birds, too, there are three or four more or less conspicuous 



