FUR-LIKE BABY-CLOTHES 139 



In any case, it will be noticed that the down of 

 young birds resembles the fur of beasts in colour- 

 ing, just as it does in texture, though the latter 

 resemblance is of course superficial, down being 

 merely a specialized form of feathers. No adult 

 birds are longitudinally striped to the extent that 

 chicks often are, but such a marking is not uncom- 

 mon in beasts, such as the striped squirrels of 

 Asia and America, and the striped mice of Africa, 

 to say nothing of the striped young of most of the 

 wild pigs. The marbling of certain chicks, and 

 the spotting of others, may be compared with the 

 varied coats of cats and civets, and, most interesting 

 of all, it will be seen that chicks exhibit no colour 

 which is not found in mammalian fur, however 

 brilliant their feathers may be when they grow up. 

 Black, white, and grey, chestnut, brown, and buff, 

 are almost all their tints, and the only bright one 

 they show, yellow, is just that which is permitted 

 to beasts ; visitors to the Zoo will recall the yellow 

 beard of the Mandrill and the yellow whiskers of the 

 Moustache Monkey (Cercopithecus ce-phus), to say 

 nothing of the self-yellow coat of the Lion Mar- 

 moset {Midas rosalia) which surpasses that of any 

 duckling. Several weasels also boast of yellow 

 throats and breasts, and squirrels almost rival the 

 gayest monkeys in brilliancy of tint. 



Moreover, young birds, like mammals, may dis- 

 play other bright colours if these are limited to the 

 skin, or at any rate to featherless parts. The red 

 on the head of young Coots and Grebes may be 



