l62 THE NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [i, 4, July 1905 



females. But here also numerous observed facts have long 

 caused many biologists to doubt ; and Mr. Burroughs thinks that 

 " it is incredible that the taste of females in fashions, their pref- 

 erence for the gay and the ornate, should have played any con- 

 siderable part in superinducing these things." 



Thus far in his line of questioning the general applicability of 

 the color theories Mr. Burroughs is in line with suggestions by 

 various students of evolution. That colors may play some part 

 in the struggle for existence is still generally accepted by biol- 

 ogists, but there are few who do not recognize the difficulties in 

 explaining such facts as Mr. Burroughs cites. The question now 

 is. How far are the color theories applicable? More than ever 

 before we need to study animals in nature as well as in the labo- 

 ratory. 



But if the remarkable color resemblances which we see around 

 us do not mean adaptation which is valuable in the struggle for 

 existence, what is the explanation? This is the question which 

 ^Iv. Burroughs faces. He is " more disposed to regard them as 

 the result of the same law or tendency that makes nature in 

 general adaptive and harmonious ; the outcome of the blendings, 

 the adjustments, the unifying processes, or tendencies, that are 

 seen and felt all about us." This is interesting, but really only 

 another way of stating the observed facts which originally sug- 

 gested to men of science the color theories as an attempt to give 

 the reason why there are blendings and adjustments in nature. A 

 " tendency to oneness " is not the answer wanted. If the color 

 theories do not explain a particular case of animal color, then at 

 present we might as well confess that we do not know. This 

 we have long done in the case of the gorgeous hidden colors of 

 molluscan shells and the details of color patterns of insects and 

 birds. 



Nature-study teachers will certainly do well to continue calling 

 attention to the colors of animals as related to their surroundings, 

 and suggest investigation concerning the effectiveness of the 

 color; but as a general principle it does not seem wise to state 

 that harmonious blending means protection and contrasts are 

 danger signals. At least we must be somewhat cautious until our 

 information is less open to question. 



With colors as with so many other things touched in nature- 

 study of schools it seems best to keep close to observed facts 



