Daily Yellowstone journal., 1883-12-08
THE DAILY YELLOWSTONE JOURNAL.
COLOR IN ANIMALS
why Polar Bears are White and Per.
rots Greene asps and lsecs, Tree
Toads and Caterpillars.

[Cincinrati Enquirer.
ANY one attending geological garden
or noticing any large collection Of ami
mails is ut once struck by the variety of
colors, both OF the plumage and hide or
skin. Some animals are highly colored,
others have hues sombre and dark.
What is the reason of this? Why are
animals colorel differently? What is
the use Of any coloring? These
questions can only be answered
by consideration of the habits
OF the various animals, the means pro-
vided for their obtaining fool and the
weapons they have for defense. The
coloring of animals is to large extent
protective. 1t enables animals to hide
from their enemies, who would other
wise extinguish their species, and IN
other instances, where they have means
OF defense that warn other animals to
keep away, they are highly colored, so
that other animals are warned to give
them wide berth. For instance, rats,
mice, bats and moles, which seek for
food at night are dark. of dusky hues,
while in the light of day they conceal
themselves in their holes. Yet the
skunk, which is nocturnal animal, has
much white about it, and q large white
tail which it carries erect; but the hor-
rible odor il emits makes it universally
dreaded, and its conspicuous white tail
is signal flag to all carniy-
orous animals not to attack it,
which they seldom do.
All the bears in tie world are either
brown or black, except the polar bear,
which is white. So are most of the
animals of the polar region white, that
is, of the same color as the snow and Ice
they inhabit, which similarity OF color
ing is means of protection from their
enemies, inasmuch as they are not so
readily seen. Perhaps the musk OK, or
musk sheep, which is Of q dark brown
color, would seem an exception, but the
habits of the animals explain this. They
are gregarious, live in hocks, and this
is their means of protection: hence, il
one strays away from the flock it is
necessary that they be OF dark color,
30 that he can see his comrades at a
distance. The raven is another in
stance; he is black, yet inbabits the
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