196 
COLOUR IN NATURE 
CHAP. 
to the markings. It is fitting, therefore, that at this 
point, before passing from the Invertebrates to the 
Vertebrates, we should consider for a little the mean¬ 
ing and characters of patterns. We have again and 
again encountered such types of coloration among 
the Invertebrates, but when we pass to Vertebrates 
we shall find that absolute uniformity of colour is 
relatively rare, and that in most cases the markings 
or patterns are the conspicuous features. We pro¬ 
pose, therefore, to consider here first some of the 
characters of the colour-patterns naturally occurring 
in organisms, and then some suggestions as to their 
meaning. 
The Patterns and Markings of Organisms 
Plants .—Among plants colour-markings occur 
most conspicuously in flowers, for the artistic value 
of foliage depends in the general case upon simple 
colour contrasts between stem and leaves and upon 
beauty of form rather than upon complexity of 
marking. In flowers, as is obvious upon a moment’s 
reflection, the markings depend greatly upon the 
form and character of the parts. Flowers in which 
the floral envelopes consist of similar parts have these 
parts similarly marked, as, for instance, the stripes or 
markings on the petals of tulips, of geraniums, snow¬ 
drops, and so on. Slight irregularities of colour are 
associated with correspondingly slight variations in 
structure, as seen in some of the so-called honey- 
guides, such as the spot of dark colour in the flower 
of the rhododendron. On the other hand, the more 
complicated colour-markings are usually confined to 
