THE COLORATION OF LARGE ANIMALS 13 



latter animal in Ceylon. Moreover, spotted species seem to 

 be more essentially diurnal than sombre-coloured forms. 



When the meaning and purport of the coloration of 

 mammals first began to receive careful attention on the 

 part of naturalists, there was a tendency to classify brilliant 

 markings like those of the African bushbucks, bongo, and 

 kudus as " recognition markings " that is to say, markings 

 designed to enable all members of a species to recognise 

 with facility their own kind. Animals have, however, 

 other modes of mutual recognition in addition to colour; 

 besides which different species, whether they go about in 

 pairs, in small family parties, or in herds, keep, as a rule, 

 more or less to themselves, and are in no danger of mis- 

 taking other species for their own kind. Probably among 

 the great majority of mammals the only " recognition 

 marks " are the white or light-coloured areas on the tail 

 or hindquarters, which are displayed to their fullest extent 

 in many cases when the members of a party or herd have 

 to " bolt " suddenly to covert. In some species, like the 

 rabbit and the white-tailed American deer, the white area 

 is restricted to the under-side of the tail and the adjacent 

 portions of the buttocks, and in such cases the tail is 

 always raised when in flight, so as to expose a large and 

 conspicuous blaze of white. In other species, such as the 

 Japanese deer and its relatives of the Asiatic mainland, or 

 the roe, the white area takes the form of a patch of long 

 hairs on the rump, which are erected and expanded when 

 the animals are alarmed. Probably the straw-coloured 

 rump-patch of the wapiti and red-deer is of the same 

 nature, but as these animals are less likely to miss their 

 leader when in flight than is the case with smaller species, 

 the " recognition mark " is less conspicuous. 



In regard to spotted deer and striped antelopes, it 



