Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1890-05-02
Natures Dress.


polar bear white. The alpine hare
the ermine and the Arctic fox turn
white in the snowy season. Among
birds, the ptarmigan in winter loses
it's summer plumage, which harmo-
nizes so we'll with the lichen-covered
tones among which it hides, and turns
white, so very white that one may
tramp through flock lying on the
snow without perceivinga single bird.
tn the common raven, which even In
midwinter goes as far north as any
known bird or mammal, remains
black. it is because it feeds on carrion
and has no need OF concealment TO
get near it's prey. The Siberian sable
like the raven, does not change color
in winter because its habits are such
that it does not need to become white; ;
it often lives on berries at this season.
and is so nimble on the trees that IL
easily catches small birds. The wood
chuck Of Canada also stays brown IN
winter. But it then burrows inrlver-
banks and subsists on fish. We know
that the lion, by its sandy color, cas-
ily conceals itself by crouching on the
desert land while the strips OF the
tiger assimilate well with the vertical
stem of the bamboo and tall, stlif
grass of the jungle. Almost all the
other animals Of the cattribe frequent
treea. and these have often spotted
skins, which help to blend them with
the background of foliage A marked
exception is the puma, whose ashy
brown fur, the color of bark, and Its
habit Of clinging very closely to
limb as it waits for its prey TO pass
underneath, making it uncommonly
hard to distinguish. 1t might be
thought that the conspicuous stripes
Of the zebra, in a country Astounding
with lions and leopards, would be
danger to it. But zebras go in herds,
and are so wary and swift that in the
day time they have little to fear. 1t
is at dusk, when they go to drink,
that they are most exposed. But
Feancis Cation, who has studied this
animal in it's native haunts. declares
thatin the twilight the zebra's black
and white stripes blend so well into a
grayish tint that at this hour 1t Is
not easy to be seenat short distance.
Even an animal as big as a giraffe Is
said by travellers to be admirably con-
cealed by it's form and color when
standing perfectly still among the
dead trees often found on the out
skirts OF the groves where they feed.
It's spots, its long neck, the peculiar
shape of its head and horns appear
altogether so like broken branches
that even the natives have been
known to mistake tree for a giraffe
and u giraffe for a tree. In regard to
the coloring of birds, the better opln-
ion is that the dull colors OF the
female have been acquired for pro-
lection while sitting on the nest. 10
this rule there are exceptions, as the
kingfishers, wood -peckers, toucans,
parrots, starlings, and houguest, in
which both sexes are equally conspi >
uous. But these birds either nest in
holes. or build domeshaped nests
which hide the sitting bird. In the
very few curious cases where the
female is usually more consciously
colored than the male, it is found that
the relation of the sexes in regard to
nesting is reversed-the male bird
sitting on the eggs, while the more
attractive but pugnacious female
stands exposed to the enemy's eye.
Such are the dotterel, an Australian
creeper, and one or two others. In
the tropics, where leaves are always
green, we find whole groups of birds
whose feathers are green while
many treesnakes in that part OF the
world, comprising both harmless and
venomous genera, are usually OF a
beautiful green color, and SO perfect
ly does it conceal them that their prey
comes within easy reach unconscious
of danger The only true arboreal
snake whose color is seldom green is
the genus Dipsas, which takes various
shades, black, brown, olive. But the
snake of this genus are all nocturnal,
and by day hide in holes, so that a
green disguise would serve them no
useful purpose. Among the smaller
marine animals, many are protected
by being so transparent as to be al
most invisible, those that are brightly
colored generally having q special
protection, either in singing tenta-
cles or in hard crust like the star
fish. In some rare cases, as in the
chameleon, a lizard-like animal which
turns to from dull white to variety
of tints in harmony with surrounding
objects, the change OF color is bought
about by reflex action, dependent
on sensation; and it has been discov-
cred that this curious power is due to
several layers Of movable pigment
cells buried deep under the skin,
which, when the helpless creature sees
an enemy, are capable, through the
emotion of fear, Of being pushed up
to the surface. There is a shrimp
culled the chameleon shrimp which
has the same power Of taking a pro-
tective tint, seemingly at will. 1t is
Of sandy hue when swimming over
a sandy bottom. but as soon as it gets
among sea-weed in changes to green.
An experiment shows that, ifdeprived
of sight, this shrimp, not knowing the
color of its surroundings, will not