14 PROTECTIVE COLOUR 



The human head and neck, for instance, grow 

 hair, not to encourage barbers, but for the pre- 

 vention of sunstroke, and this varies in colour 

 with the degree of sunHght. So all natural 

 breeds of horses have a dark forelock and mane 

 with a streak of strong brown or black colour 

 from the withers to the root of the tail, thus 

 guarding the whole length of the spine. This 

 armour and shield defines for us two primi- 

 tive types : 



The Bay of the Desert produced in fierce 

 light the year round. 



The Dun of the Steppes produced in fierce 

 light limited to the summer. 



And here the need of clear thought leads to 

 a new definition of " protective " colour. 



The dun Siberian tiger, largest and fiercest 

 of all cats, hunted the Dun pony of the Steppes. 

 The dun lion of Africa hunted the Bay horse. 

 Had both cats and both horses been painted 

 sky blue, their relative chances in the chase 

 would be exactly the same. They do not owe 

 meat or safety from attack to their body 

 colour. Both species would have perished 

 under the actinic rays of sunhght but for their 

 equal shield of non-actinic colour. 



The purpose of body colour is defence 

 from actinic light. Only the markings are 



