746 ZOOLOGY. 
INFLUENCE OF LOCALITY UPON THE CoLors OF BIRDS AND ANI- 
MALS. — Not being an ornithologist, I am unable to form an opin- 
ion as to the details of the observations given by Prof. Baird, Dr. 
Coues, J. A. Allen, R. Ridgway and others, in reference to the 
colors of our American birds. But the laws of variation so far 
proposed are obviously provisional only. Perhaps, therefore, 
another suggestion in the same direction may be allowed. 
While in Egypt, in the winter of 1858-9, I was struck with 
the predominant dulness of hue of the birds and animals, wild 
and domestic. Of the latter, the cattle and buffaloes were nearly 
mud-colored; so were the sheep, and, preéminently, the nu- 
merous and miserable dogs. Nothing striking appeared in the 
aspect of the horses (sometimes white, mostly brown), or the 
more commonly used donkeys. The camel is always (in Egypt 
at least) a dull-colored animal. 
But among the birds, myriads of which were seen by us on the 
Nile, between Cairo and Thebes, it can hardly have been an ac- 
cident that in two months, I saw not one bright color of any kind. 
White is beautifully conspicuous in the ibis, which glistens in the 
sun as it flies; and a grayish white is usual with the very abun- 
dant, half-domestic pigeons. But the only other hues seen were 
gray, brown, dull yellow and (least often) black ; in land birds as 
well as in ducks, geese, cormorants, pelicans, etc. 
It is very probable that my scrutiny may have been quite in- 
complete, during the two months mentioned. It is, of course, 
possible also, that the summer fauna of Egypt may be entirely 
different, especially in its birds; although (as every one knows) 
the temperature is rarely as low as 40° or even 50° F. in = 
Egyptian winter, so far north as Cairo. Yet I cannot but think 
that a strong contrast must exist between that region (and prob- 
ably Africa farther south, also) and South America, as well as 
the Indian peninsulds and archipelagoes, with their brilliant ham- 
ming-birds, trogons and others of the West, and pheasants, birds 
of paradise, etc., of the Eastern Indies. With a still more re- 
stricted observation of them, I imagined, at least, a similar com- 
parative rarity of brilliant hues among the insects of Egypt. 
Towards the possible explanation of this peculiarity (if it be 
admitted) one suggestion, perhaps vague, has occurred to me; the 
question of the novelty of which concerns me less than that of 
its soundness. There is certainly nothing in the climate of any 
