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The Descent of Man

The Descent of Man

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ightly coloured than the adults, or are quite<br />

dull coloured; for no instance is known, as far<br />

as I can discover, <strong>of</strong> the young <strong>of</strong> dull-coloured<br />

species displaying bright colours, or <strong>of</strong> the<br />

young <strong>of</strong> bright-coloured species being more<br />

brilliant than their parents. In the fourth class,<br />

however, in which the young and the old resemble<br />

each other, there are many species<br />

(though by no means all), <strong>of</strong> which the young<br />

are bright-coloured, and as these form old<br />

groups, we may infer that their early progenitors<br />

were likewise bright. With this exception,<br />

if we look to the birds <strong>of</strong> the world, it appears<br />

that their beauty has been much increased since<br />

that period, <strong>of</strong> which their immature plumage<br />

gives us a partial record.<br />

ON THE COLOUR OF THE PLUMAGE IN<br />

RELATION TO PROTECTION.<br />

It will have been seen that I cannot follow Mr.<br />

Wallace in the belief that dull colours, when

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