482 THE LAW WHICH UNDERLIES PROTECTIVE COLORATION. 



And, from this, one might fancy the whole phenomenon to be the result 

 of such browning and bleaching. But to those who believe in natural 

 selection it must be obvious that the gradation's protecting power 

 proves it a result of such selection. As to a bleaching and browning 

 theory, many facts suggest that light does not tend to darken the coats 

 of animals. Notice, for instance, the pale inhabitants of treeless 

 regions, such as sandy beaches, etc., compared with wood dwellers. 

 But this discussion is outside my present purpose. 



As an epigrammatic lash to my entire thesis on protective coloration, 

 it is important to say that no other conceivable arrangement of light 

 and dark colors could effect the intrinsic uusubstantiality of ax)pear- 

 auce guaranteed by the gradation therein set forth. 



