Aug., 1892. colours and coloration in animals. 
169 
THE ORIGIN AND OBJECTS OF COLOURS AND 
COLORATION IN ANIMALS.* 
BY A. BERNARD BADGER, B.A. 
Of the many questions relating to the phenomena ot 
animal organization, one of the most interesting asks what 
object in the economy of nature is served by the colour which, 
of greater or less brilliance, and arranged in more or less 
definite patterns, distinguishes the outer surfaces of all 
animals. As early as 1794 the grandfather of Charles Darwin 
referred to the subject, and gave a partial answer which agrees 
with the views now generally held. In his “ Zoonomia ” he 
writes: “ The colours of many animals seem adapted to their 
purposes of concealing themselves, either to avoid danger 
or to spring upon their prey” (“Zoonomia,” Yol. I., p. 509). 
Since the time of Erasmus Darwin, the matter has been 
investigated by many observers, including his celebrated 
grandson, Wallace, Bates, Fritz Muller, Weissmann, Meldola, 
and Poulton. As the result of their labours it is now very 
generally believed that the colours of animals may be divided 
according to their uses into three groups which, in Mr. 
Poulton’s words, are defined as follows: — 
(1.) Apatetic , or deceptive colours ; those which cause an 
animal to resemble some part of its usual environment, or 
which cause it to be mistaken for an animal of another species. 
Examples of this class are numerous : such are the 
general green colour of animals which live on plants, as that 
of many caterpillars, tropical birds, tree-frogs, and tree- 
snakes ; the shades of yellow and brown characteristic of 
autumnal moths which fly among the dying and withering 
leaves ; the brown colour of the hare, which, as it sits motion¬ 
less, exactly resembles a lump of brown earth, etc That the 
brilliant stripes of the zebra and tiger should be an instance 
of deceptive colouring is certainly at first sight startling; yet 
so it seems to be, for it is stated by Francis Galton that 
on a bright moonlight night the colour produced by the black 
and white stripes of the former exactly resembles the pale tint 
of the arid ground of the region it inhabits ; while the tiger, 
among tropical vegetation, is almost invisible at even so short 
a distance as twenty yards, for his black stripes assimilate 
with the deep shadows, and his tawny stripes with the 
long pale yellow leaves of his surroundings. 
* Animal Coloration: An Account of the Principal Facts and 
Theories Relating to the Colours and Markings of Animals. By Frank 
E. Beddard, M.A., F.R.S.E. London: Swan, Sonnenscliein, and Co. 
Price 10s. 6d. 
