io MOSTLY MAMMALS 



rate, be conducted with museum specimens ; and, if practi- 

 cable, they would, at the best, give us but a poor inkling 

 of the real truth. What we want are precise and accurate 

 observations made on living animals with regard to the 

 harmony between their colours and their surroundings ; 

 and such observations can only be made by sportsmen and 

 travellers, and more especially by the former. And to be 

 of any real value such observations must be made under 

 all conditions : in the case of a forest animal, for instance, 

 both when the creature is in the woods and when out 

 feeding in the open. Nor is this all, for it is necessary 

 to ascertain what portions of an animal's coloration are 

 adapted to render the body inconspicuous under all 

 circumstances — such as the white of the under-parts to 

 counteract the effect of shadow — and what portions have 

 been developed in correlation with the particular natural 

 surroundings of a species or group. Then, again, we have 

 to distinguish between protective coloration and what are 

 known as " recognition marks," such as the white under- 

 surface of the tail of a rabbit. Furthermore, there is the 

 distinction between both these types and the so-called 

 " warning colours," like the black and white of the skunks, 

 which are apparently intended to render their owners con- 

 spicuous, and thus protect them from attack, either on 

 account of some noxious emanation they possess or from 

 their fighting power. These warning colours are, however, 

 comparatively rare among mammals ; and observation is 

 mainly required in regard to protective coloration, especially 

 when some species of a group are brilliantly spotted or 

 striped, while others are uniformly clad in a less gorgeous 

 livery. 



Speaking generally, and excepting certain unusually 

 bulky kinds, such as elephants, rhinoceroses, and hippo- 



