﻿132 
  Verrill 
  — 
  Coloration 
  in 
  Mammals, 
  Birds, 
  Fishes, 
  etc. 
  

  

  Art. 
  XIII. 
  — 
  Nocturnal 
  protective 
  coloration 
  in 
  Mammals, 
  

   Birds, 
  Fishes, 
  Insects, 
  etc., 
  as 
  developed 
  oy 
  Natural 
  Selec- 
  

   tion'* 
  by 
  A. 
  E. 
  Yerrill. 
  

  

  Much 
  lias 
  been 
  written 
  in 
  respect 
  to 
  the 
  imitative 
  and 
  pro- 
  

   tective 
  colors 
  of 
  these 
  groups, 
  as 
  seen 
  by 
  daylight, 
  and 
  the 
  

   bearing 
  of 
  these 
  facts 
  on 
  natural 
  selection 
  is 
  well 
  known. 
  

   Very 
  little 
  attention 
  has 
  been 
  paid 
  to 
  their 
  colors, 
  as 
  seen 
  by 
  

   twilight, 
  moonlight, 
  and 
  starlight. 
  Yet 
  it 
  is 
  evident 
  that 
  pro- 
  

   tection 
  is 
  more 
  needed 
  during 
  the 
  night 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  daytime, 
  

   by 
  a 
  very 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  species. 
  This 
  is 
  the 
  case 
  with 
  

   those 
  that 
  move 
  about 
  in 
  search 
  of 
  their 
  food 
  at 
  night, 
  as 
  is 
  

   the 
  habit 
  of 
  numerous 
  forms 
  of 
  small 
  mammals, 
  such 
  as 
  

   rodents 
  (rats, 
  mice, 
  arvicolse, 
  etc.), 
  insectivores 
  (moles, 
  shrews, 
  

   etc.), 
  many 
  herbivores, 
  various 
  marsupials, 
  and 
  members 
  of 
  

   other 
  orders. 
  Many 
  carnivorous 
  species, 
  which 
  seek 
  their 
  

   prey 
  at 
  night, 
  will 
  also 
  find 
  advantages 
  in 
  such 
  protective 
  

   colors, 
  for 
  thus 
  they 
  will 
  more 
  easily 
  escape 
  the 
  notice 
  of 
  their 
  

   prey. 
  Hence 
  many 
  nocturnal 
  carnivores 
  are 
  black 
  or 
  nearly 
  so, 
  

   as 
  the 
  mink, 
  fishes, 
  some 
  bears, 
  etc. 
  The 
  same 
  principles 
  will 
  

   apply 
  to 
  birds, 
  reptiles, 
  fishes, 
  and 
  to 
  insects, 
  both 
  in 
  their 
  

   larval 
  and 
  adult 
  states, 
  for 
  many 
  members 
  of 
  all 
  these 
  groups 
  are 
  

   very 
  active 
  at 
  night 
  and 
  hide 
  away 
  in 
  holes 
  or 
  beneath 
  dense 
  

   herbage 
  by 
  day. 
  Moreover, 
  large 
  numbers 
  of 
  birds, 
  fishes 
  and 
  

   insects, 
  that 
  are 
  active 
  by 
  day, 
  rest 
  in 
  exposed 
  situations 
  at 
  

   night, 
  and 
  are 
  thus 
  liable 
  to 
  be 
  destroyed 
  by 
  nocturnal 
  ene- 
  

   mies. 
  Most 
  small 
  birds 
  roost 
  in 
  trees, 
  bushes, 
  or 
  reeds, 
  and 
  

   therefore 
  need 
  protection 
  while 
  sleeping. 
  Most 
  small 
  fishes, 
  

   that 
  are 
  quiet 
  at 
  night, 
  rest 
  among 
  sea-weeds, 
  grasses, 
  and 
  

   stones, 
  or 
  else 
  directly 
  upon 
  the 
  bottom, 
  exposed 
  to 
  the 
  attacks 
  

   of 
  many 
  nocturnal 
  carnivorous 
  species. 
  The 
  struggle 
  for 
  

   existence 
  is 
  severe 
  among 
  such 
  species. 
  It 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  expected, 
  

   therefore, 
  that 
  instances 
  of 
  nocturnal 
  protective 
  coloration 
  will 
  

   become 
  numerous 
  when 
  looked 
  for. 
  The 
  chief 
  object 
  of 
  the 
  

   present 
  paper 
  is 
  to 
  call 
  the 
  attention 
  of 
  more 
  observers 
  to 
  this 
  

   subject. 
  

  

  In 
  many 
  cases 
  the 
  same 
  colors 
  are 
  equally 
  protective 
  in 
  day- 
  

   light 
  and 
  at 
  night. 
  This 
  is 
  the 
  case 
  with 
  the 
  green 
  colors, 
  so 
  

   often 
  seen' 
  in 
  the 
  plumage 
  of 
  birds 
  that 
  live 
  among 
  foliage, 
  

   and 
  with 
  the 
  various 
  shades 
  of 
  brown 
  and 
  gray, 
  — 
  common 
  

   colors 
  of 
  birds, 
  and 
  mammals 
  that 
  live 
  on 
  the 
  ground, 
  among 
  

   rocks 
  or 
  dead 
  leaves, 
  and 
  of 
  those 
  that 
  live 
  on 
  or 
  among 
  tree 
  

   trunks. 
  The 
  same 
  applies 
  to 
  the 
  white 
  colors 
  of 
  mammals 
  

   and 
  birds 
  in 
  winter 
  and 
  -in 
  the 
  arctic 
  regions. 
  But 
  there 
  are 
  

  

  

  * 
  Abstract 
  of 
  a 
  paper 
  read 
  before 
  the 
  Morphological 
  Society, 
  Dec. 
  30, 
  1896. 
  

  

  