The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-04-04

this will get nothing but bunch of hair
the skin at the tip of the tail coming Off
very easily with its tuft of hair. leaving
the main brush still IN the possession of
the animal
Another peculiar coloration among ami
mails but recently pointed out by Wallace
are the so-called warning colors. One of
the most conspicuous examples Is the
skunk, than which probably there is no
other animal on the American continent
more conspicuous, and none TO which we
would more readily yield clear coast. A
peculiar secretion that can be voided by
this animal is intensely offensive; but as
long as the animal is left alone this is not
put into operation The animal with its
jet black under portion and its bright
hands of white carries a signal flag 70
keep out of the way,
Tree toads living on leaves, are green
in color. those living upon the ground are
duh, like the clay and dirt of their habi-
tat. In the tropics tree frogs and ground
frogs are nocturnal, and all have protect
i've coloration.
A little diurnal frog that leaps about
perfectly fearlessly through the tropical
woods has a brilliant coat and crimson
breeches. His devourers are lizards and
birds. A naturalist brought some home
to his garden aud tried to feed them to
his ducks which would not have anything
to do with them. Some pieces of meat,
the size of these frogs were fed by hand
to the ducks, and during the operation a
frog was substituted for the meat and the
exotic frog thus introduced into the mouth
of the duck which ran around the yard
shaking his head as though IL had recelv-
ed some very disagreeable acrid dose from
the animal.
Noyagers down the Riviera have MOTTO
ed a pure white snail attached to the
rocks snail collector in Central Amer
lea, having to use both hands in climbing
the rocks whereon rested a conspicuously
colored group of snails, seized the snails
in his mouth, but could not keep them
there; they were so very bitter and caus-
tic he was obliged to throw them out
Most snails can be retained in the mouth
without disagreeable consequences; but
these snails undoubtedly protect them
selves against their enemies, the birds, by
a flavor they can't stomach.
There is nothing in the world more con-
spicuous than a zebra. And vet Bald
win says that in his travels in Africa
on bright starlight nights, the zebras
would come so near that he could hear
them breathing and yet could not see
them. If the zebras bands were any
broader it would appear as a black mass
and if any lighter as a light mass. AS IL
roundings that il was impossible to locate
them.
Cummings, in his travels In Africa.
speaks of a herd of CRATES in the forest,
with the light passing through in different
ways. the sun spots here and there, and
it was impossible to see. He has heard
a herd of giraffe browsing in the edge of
a forest, had them pointed out to him
by his native hunters. and even with the
aid of a telescope could not see them him
self.
The Bengal tiger, seeking its prey
among the jungles, exactly harmonizes,
in its upright bands of color, with the
play of lights and shadows from above
has in his own skin a very good imita-
ton of the sunspots.
The bird known as the creeper greatly
resembles in color the bark of the trees.
The color of kildeers-both young birds
and nests-closely resemble that of the
stony ground on which they live.
The rabbit is very inconspicuous upon
the ground until he starts up and shows
his white cotton tail"
Very characteristic recognition marks
among the animals are those that are
of such a nature as to keep the herd to-
gether. The peculiar white patch about
the tail of a deer Is one of these When
being shot at il runs away, this is one of
the most conspicuous features of the deer
The other members of the herd seeing
this recognition mark, know the danger
and take flight The Rocky Mountain
antelope has the recognition markings in
the head.
Mimicry was the first term used in these
peculiar adaptations of color to surround
ings. Originally the term meant re-
semblance of the animal to its surround
ings, be they animate or inanimate; but
now we restrict 'mimicry'' to where one
animal mimics another animal. This Is
very clearly shown in the hrmming bird
moths, which have been repeatedly shot
by the naturalist Wallace IN mistake for
humming birds. The humming bird moth
is one of the sphinxes. in which the
tongue, instead of being rolled up, Is kept
out straight, resembling the bill OF the
humming bird, while at the end of the abb
domen number of hairs run out aud re-
semble. to a certain extent, the bird. The
fight of the sphinx closely resembles that
of the humming bird and for two such
naturalists as Bache and Wallace to be
continually making these mistakes proves
the resemblance and shows why a bird
feeding upon insects would let a hum
ming bird moth go, deeming it a humming
bird.
The coral snake occurs in our southern
states and in Trinidad, being poisonous
There is a snake that mimics the coral
snake that is perfectly harmless
AS to the leaf butterfly, in old books we
read how bushes in India have flying
leaves. They simply resembled in form
and color the leaves Of the bush upon
which they rested.
Caterpillar cocoon found in this local
ity will resmble the bark of the trees
upon which they rest.
LAST OF THE TRAII,ERg