The Banner-Democrat., 1902-01-25
ARCTIC WHITE ANIMALS
PROCESS INVOLVES SUBSTITUTION
OF ONE COAT FOR ANOTHER.

Experinents Made on the American vari-
able Hare show That the Animal Has
No Control Over the Change A Pus-
cling Problem For the Naturalists.
1t has been generally assumed that
such animals as change the color OF
their coats in winter-chief1y varieties
in the Arctic regions-do 30 by a
bleaching process. Experiments made |
fifty years ago on the Arctic lemming
Ia mouse-like creature) showed that Its
hair could thus be turned white by
sudden lowering of temperature, and
this was thought to be the normal pro-
cess. Actual observation, however.
leads to the belief, SO we are told by
the English naturalist, R. Lydekker,
in knowledge, that the method is quite
different and involves an entire substi-
tuition of one coat for another. He
says:
at Is perfectly wen known that
apart from those which turn white In
winter, a large number Of animals
have a winter coat differing markedly
in color, as well as in length, from the
| summer dress. The roebuck, for In
stance, is Of q brilliant foxy red in
summer, while In winter 1t Is gray
fawn with a large patch Of pure white
| on the buttocks. And It Is quite clear
| that the change from red to gray, and
| the development Of the white rump-
| patch, is due to the shedding Of the
short summer coat and its replace
| ment by the longer winter dress. OBJ
| viously, therefore, 1t Is natural to ex-
pect that a similar change Of coat
takes place in the case Of mammals
which turn white In winter.
"That the change in spring from a
white to a dark dress Is due to she'd
ding of the fur seems to be admitted
on all hands, for it would be obviously
quite impossible for long hairs to be-
come short, or for white ones to turn
brown. And even in animals which
do not alter their color in any very
marked degree according to season
the spring change Of coat Is sufficiently
obvious. Moreover, In spite OF
the natural tendency to believe In
blanching on account Of the aforesaid
abnormal instances of turning white
| in a single night, there Is abundant
. evidence to show that even In human
. hair the change from dark to white
, as age advances is brought about by
the replacement of dark hairs b,
, white ones, and not by the bleaching
, Of the former. In this case, however
! the change, instead Of being seasona
t and sudden, is gradual and due to age
, If the change was due to blanching w
e should, Of course, find some hair
J, which were partially white and par
3 tally brown Tor black, as the cas-
!, may be).
"As matter Of fact, however. thos
e Of us who have reached an age whe
silver hairs have begun to make thei
appearance among the brown can easii
/ satisfy themselves that such hairs ar
: white throughout their entire length
and that a hair half white and hal
y brown is quite unknown. From th1
we infer that the change from brow
to white takes place In human being
by the gradual shedding Of the dar
= hairs and their replacement by me-
;. ones from which pigment is entirel
&c absent. So that normally there Is
e such thing as bleaching of individu'
L. hairs. The change is. indeed, precis
ly similar to that which takes plat
i at the approach Of winter in man
j. mails that habitually turn white
e. that season, with the exception tha
Is as a general rule, 1t Is extremely slo
70 and gradual, instead Of being compa
N atively rapid. and also that the Will
D. hairs differ from their dark predece
le sors soley by the absence OF coloriI
10 matter. Unfortunately. there is
ID subsequent replacement of the Will
'e hairs by dark onesw
~ Experiments in this country on {
IL American variable hare go to sho
ce that the animal itself has no contr
ra over the change. and observation
d. England seems to demonstrate that
1t. is also quite independent of temper
ks ture. The late DR.. Cones. howev'
ke the eminent American naturali
m stated that although the change
- coat Of the Adirondack ermine tax
ic- place regularly, its color Is govern
ITS by the temperature at the time OF t
ne. change. DR.. G. 81. Merriam assel
on that the white coat Is assumed OF
ou after the first snowfall, and this wos
Ter seem to be connected with the reas
ou for the change. which, 1t appears,
he protective. Says the writer:
Did 'It is, Of course, quite evident u
IN the assumption of white winter
by ery by mountain hares and ermiI
d's living in regions where the snow
r." on the ground for a considerable p
ton Of the year is for the purpose
rendering such animals as inconspl
nst GUS as possible when In their NAT
ch, haunts. And, so far az we know. 81
, a change is universal among the
eis cies named when dwelling IN q
nee northern attitudes" :.
ere In closing, Mr.. Lydekker states
10 interesting fact regarding the 0
ne and white Arctic foxes whose Iui
Fps. now so fashionable. 1t has been s
to posed that the white fur was the v
Vio- ter and the blue the summer coat
cen one and the same animal. but the
yed ter assures us that they are both v
of ter coats Of two different variet
EN- the blue fox being brownish In s.
the mer and the white fox ashy gray
The spots. The two varieties breed
,tly gether, and there may be blue
and white foxes in the same litter. .
'ere presents puzzling problem to natu
lent lists IL we are to accept the theor,
$50. protective 'coloration. for, asks