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_The Constancy of Animal Colour indicates Utility._
That the colours and markings of animals have been acquired under the
fundamental law of utility is indicated by a general fact which has
received very little attention. As a rule, colour and marking are
constant in each species of wild animal, while, in almost every
domesticated animal, there arises great variability. We see this in our
horses and cattle, our dogs and cats, our pigeons and poultry. Now, the
essential difference between the conditions of life of domesticated and
wild animals is, that the former are protected by man, while the latter
have to protect themselves. The extreme variations in colour that
immediately arise under domestication indicate a tendency to vary in
this way, and the occasional occurrence of white or piebald or other
exceptionally coloured individuals of many species in a state of nature,
shows that this tendency exists there also; and, as these exceptionally
coloured individuals rarely or never increase, there must be some
constant power at work to keep it in check.


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