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 10 THE CONDOR Vol. X perhaps feathers, the colors serve no known useful purpose, so far as the inani- mate possessor is concerned. Many vegetable colors are surely n6t for conceal- ment, though some may be for protection frmn light or temperature, and in case of flowers, possibly for the purpose of attracting insects, which would mean revealing, not concealing, coloration. Many leaves are countershaded, but not for concealment, surely. Internal organs, muscles and tendons of animals differ in color, but certainly not 'for concealment from enemies. Are not the beautiful yellow and black abdominal colors of the ring-necked snakes (Diadophis, spp.), under almost all circumstances, concealed, not concealing? Many heavy shelled mollusks .which lie buried in mud and have practically no enemies except para- sites and boring mollusks, and certainly have no need of concealment, are strongly lined with different colors: 'rhe species differ in color, surely not for conceal- ment, as in many cases the colors are most emphatically not concealing when the animal lies on the beach sands unburied. Compare also the inside of the pearly fresh-water mussels, some species with chocolate-colored nacre, some rose- colored and some pure white, surely none for concealment. Innumerable other examples will occur to naturalists. If no animal were in need of concealment, if coloration were purely haphaz- ard, it is possible or even likely that the majority of them would be in a large measure concealingly colored. There are more neutral or dull colors, than bright and conspicuous colors. While bright colors do not always. mean conspicuous- ness, ' yet a very brightly colored animal is quite apt to be conspicuous under a great many circumstances, while a dull-colored One is quite apt to escape observa- tion in almost any habitat, if it remains quiet. In the varying colors, lights, shades, and details of form of a forest, a small animal of almost any color or color pattern easily escapes observation while quiet. not because it is concealingly colored, but because it is only one in the great mass of detail, and the eye sees but a few out 6f the thousands of details. A black crow, a white heron and a scarlet ibis, all firly large birds, standing side by side, could escape observation under many circumstances. Furthermore, in for- est and brush patches, animals are almost always partly concealed or their out- lines broken up by intervening twigs, leaves, etc. Even then it is noticeable that many birds which are good examples of concealing coloration take the precau- tion to keep a tree or bush between them and their enemies, a fact probably fa- miliar to every ornithologist .... It has been argued that if concealing coloration is quite general, then we arc warranted in assuming that it is universal, and that the apparent exceptions are exceptions simply because we do not know all the facts. That argument is-quite unsound, and the acceptance of the doctrine of evolution, recently offered as an illustration supporting the argument, is not only not strictly parallel, but not in any way or in the slightest degree parallel. Naturalists will generally agree that the American bison and muskox in their native haunts are not concealingly col- ored and have no'need for concealment from natural enerhies armed only with nature's weapons. They are vegetarians and well able to protect themselves, ex- cept as against the artificial weapons of the human race, especially the death- dealing rifles of modern civilization. 'the same is true of many other animals. If this be admitted, then it follows that even though three-fourths of-all animals are to an astonishing degree concealingly colored, the remaining fourth might be re- vealingly colored, because fully able to take care of themselves and perpetuate their kind, because of greater fecundity, intelligence, activity, strength, or other protective character or device.