The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-04-16

amount 10 much and had no special sig nifcance, being simply the expression of the chemical and physical substances of which animal tissues are composed. In the course of development other colors and marking appeared. Some of these were useful, helping the animal in it's struggle for existence. Those so helped would survive and have descendants, thus transmitting their colors and mark ings to those who came after them; the others would perish and leave no de- scendants. In this manner colors were perpetuated
 There were several ways in which the colors were useful. Those of certain ani- mas correspond so closely to the colors of the objects among which they live that 1t Is very difficult for their enemies to distinguish them. At the same time this protective coloring enables them to steal unperceived on their prey. For example, the white fur of the polar bear Is not noticeable against the ice and snow of the arctic regions, the stripes of the tiger harmonize perfectly with the long grasses of the jungle, and so does the tawny skin of the lion with the sand of the desert.
 According to this theory of natural selection, my young friend, your remote ancestors must somehow or other have found red hair advantageous in their struggle to lives, and so 1t has been passed down to you. Still. while the theory is possible, 1t does not account for all the facts, and therefore is not con- vinclng"
 That is my opinion" said the person addressed. "1 have never round red hair was any advantage to me"
 Another theory" continued the old gentleman, lis that of sexual selection. NaI IAsa t.. perpetual and gradually becomes more brilliant owing to the persistent choice by the females of the most gayly colored males and the consequent rejection and weeding out of their more somber-hued competitors. The objection to this Is that the lower animals have their likes and dislikes in the matter of choosing partners, irrespective of their adornment, Just the same as human beings and do not always choose the gayest in color. Even when the gayest are chosen other qualities, such as strength, may have had much to do with the selection. girl may like to see her lover well and fashionably dressed but this does not prove she will marry him because she admires his clothes''
 'I quite agree with you. and yet am afraid a man Is seriously handicapped in the matrimonial race by having red hair"
 'Unquestionably. There Is a decided prejudice against 1t, both among men and women. and 1t runs back to very early period. The ancient Egyptians are credited with the custom of offering hu- man sacrifices every. year of one or more of their red-headed enemies. In certain parts of England at t1he present day the prejudices aroused by the Danish inva- sion of over 1000 years ago still finger, as that red-headed Dane is the most insult ing epithet one native can use to another Then a great deal of the present preju- dice Is due to the belief that Judas 1sca- riot had red hair. Shakespeare alludes to this in the play of As You Like It., where Rosalind, speaking of Orlando, says his hair is of the 'dissembling' color, and Celia replies that 1t is little brown CT than Judas
 ''Yet some great men-Shakespeare ana