COLOURS OF ANIMALS. 



165 



almost universally believed to be pre-eminent, not only 

 absolutely, but relatively to tlie whole mass of vegeta- 

 tion and the total number of species. Twelve years of 

 observation among the vegetation of the eastern and 

 western tropics has, however, convinced me that this 

 notion is entirely erroneous, and that, in proportion to 

 the whole number of species of plants, those having 

 gaily-coloured flowers are actually more abundant in 

 the temperate zones than between the tropics. This 

 will be found to be not so extravagant an assertion as 

 it may at first appear, if we consider how many of the 

 choicest adornments of our greenhouses and flower- 

 shows are really temperate as opposed to tropical plants. 

 The masses of colour produced by our Rhododendrons, 

 Azaleas, and Camellias, our Pelargoniums, Calceolarias, 

 and Cinerarias, — all strictly temperate plants — can cer- 

 tainly not be surpassed, if they can be equalled, by 

 any productions of the tropics. 



It may be objected that most of the plants named are 

 choice cultivated varieties y far surpassing in colour the 

 original stock, while the tropical plants are mostly un- 

 varied wild species. But this does not really much aflJ'ect 

 the question at issue. For our florists' gorgeous varieties 

 have all been produced under the influence of our 

 cloudy skies, and with even a still further deficiency of 

 light, owing to the necessity of protecting them under 

 glass from our sudden changes of temperature ; so that 

 they are themselves an additional proof that tropical 

 light and heat are not needed for the production of 

 intense and varied colour. Another important con- 

 sideration is, that these cultivated varieties in many 

 cases displace a number of wild species which are 



