THE COLORATION OF LARGE ANIMALS 23 
foliage and scenery) of the chital are practically the same 
as those of the fallow-deer in summer. Both species fre- 
quent forest glades in large herds during the daytime, and 
seek repose under the shade of spreading trees. It may 
be added that another species of spotted deer inhabiting 
the tropics—namely, the Philippine spotted deer—resembles 
the chital in retaining its dappled livery at all seasons. 
From these facts it is safe to conclude that among the 
members of the deer tribe a white-spotted coat is a pro- 
tective adaptation to a diurnal life among the glades of 
leafy woods. When such woods, as in the tropics, retain © 
their foliage throughout the year, the deer likewise retain 
their spots. On the other hand, when, as in the northern 
temperate zone, the trees become bare and leafless in winter, 
the deer assume a dull-coloured uniform livery in harmony 
with the sombre conditions of their inanimate surroundings. 
One other point in connection with the above-mentioned 
species of spotted deer deserves brief mention. All of 
them, whether spotted in summer only or throughout the 
year, have “recognition marks” on their hindquarters. In 
the fallow-deer and chital these take the form of a white 
under-surface to the tail and white on the portion of the 
buttocks against which it rests, while in the sikas there is 
a patch of extensile white hairs on the buttocks. When 
the tail is raised in flight, as is always the case, a large 
white “blaze” is displayed, which serves not only to 
indicate the direction in which to fly, but likewise as a 
danger signal to the entire herd. Evidently these strongly 
pronounced ‘recognition marks,” which are not developed 
in nocturnal and thicket-haunting deer of the sambar type, 
are correlated with the habit of frequenting the outskirts 
or glades of forests during daylight in large herds. 
The various races of the sambar which have exchanged 
