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Show 220 DARWINISM CITAP. It is interesting to note that these markings for recognition arc very slightly developed in the antel~l?cs o~ the woods and marshes. Thus, the grys-bok is nearly umform m colour, except the long black-tipped ea.rs; and it frequents the wooded mountain.. The cluyker-bok :wd the rhoocle-bok arc wary bushhaunters, and have no marks but the small white patch behind. The wood-haunting bosch-bok goo. in pairs, and haR hardly any distinctive marks on its dusky chestnut coat, but t.hc male alone is horned. The largo and handsome koodoo frequents brushwood, and its verticaJ white stripes are 110 doubt protective, while its magnificent spiral horns afford easy recognition. The eland, which is an inhabitant of the open country, is uniformly coloured, being sufficiently recognisable by its large size and di:tinctivo form j but the Dcrbyan eland is a forest animal, and has a protectively striped coat. In like manner, the fine , ~peke's a.ntclope, which lives entirely in tho swamps a.nd among reeds, has pale vertical stripes on the sides (protective), with white markings on face and breast for recognition. An inspection of the figures of antelopes and other animals in Wood's Nahtml llistory, or in other illustra.ted works, will give a better idea of the peculiarities of recognition markings than any amount of description. Other examples of such colora.tion are to be seen in the dusky tints of the musk-sheep and the reindeer, to whom recognition at a dist:tnce on tho snowy phins is of more importance than concealment from their few enernieR. The conspicuous stripes and bands of tho zebra. and the quagga arc probably due to the same cause, as ma.y be the singu1ae crests and face-ma.rks of several of the monkeys and lomurs.1 1 It may be thought that such extremely conspicuous markingr; as tlloHc of the zebra would be a rr rcat danger in a country n.bounding with lions, leopards, n.n<l other beasts of prey ; but it is not so. Zehms usun.lly go in hn.lHls, aut[ n.re so swift and wary tJ1at they arc in little dn.uger <luring t he <l:ty. It is in tl1e eveuincr, or on moonlight night: , when they go to drink, tl1at they arc clliefly exposed to attack; and Mr. Francis Galton, who has studied th •sc an imals in their 11ative haunts, assmes me, that iu twilight they are not at all eonspicuon~, the stripes of white and black so merging together into n. gray tint that it is very difficult to see th em at a little clistance. We have here an admirn.hle illustration of Jww n. glaringly conspicuous style of marking for recognition may l1e so armnged as to become also protective at the time wh •n protcr!ion is most needed ; and we may al o learn how imposs ible it ir; for us to decide on tlJC inutility of any kind of coloration without a ~a reflt l study of the habits of the ~pecies in its native couutry. VIII ORIOIN AND lJHEH OL~' COLOUR IN ANIMALH 221 |