Journal of Proceedings. vii
colour, which was necessary not only for protection of the animals
from foes, by causing them to assimilate in colour to the snow which
constantly covered their habitats, but also because this colour was best
adapted to withstand the severity of an Arctic climate. Mr. Meldola
was of opinion that this last cause was of greater influence in giving
white coverings to Arctic animals than had hitherto been supposed.
It was well known to physicists that white was an extremely bad
radiator of heat, so that an animal clad in this colour would lose less
heat than if the hair were of any other colour ; and by a true process
of natural selection white fur, &c, would in this manner become
established in the animals of the Arctic regions. It is thus probable
that the ancestors of many species now inhabiting temperate regions
were white during the Glacial period, a form of colouration which has
been retained by Arctic species up to the present time, and which
appears by reversion occasionally in species having coloured hair when
they are exposed to the same conditions as those which originally gave
rise to the white covering. The President stated in conclusion that he
brought forward these views as they appeared to him to furnish an
explanation of the fact recorded by the author of the paper.
Mr. English said he had received three white specimens of the stoat
this winter from High Beach ; last year he had four ; previously he had
not seen one for twenty years. Whether these white specimens were
due to severe winters or otherwise he could not say.
Mr. Lockyer asked whether it was possible that the specimens seen
were ordinary Albinos?* In the latter case, of course, the eyes would be
pink.
Mr. English said that in his specimens, as far as he could recollect,
the eyes were of the normal colour.
Some observations were made by Mr. Linton Wilson and others on
the folly of gamekeepers destroying animals and birds in ignorance of
their habits, and the necessity for controlling such destruction in the
Forest districts.
Thanks were voted to the authors of the papers.
The Rev. W. Linton Wilson explained the method to be pursued in
entering notes in the MS. book he had presented to the Club, and
stated that he should always be happy to assist in arranging the mate-
rials thus collected.
The President remarked that a mistake appeared to prevail in the
minds of many at the last meeting as to the purpose of the "Tea Fund"
then started. He explained that to provide tea and light refreshment
* Mr. Christy remarks, under date March 25th, that he has no reason to suppose the
specimens mentioned by him were Albinos, and that he never heard of an Albino
stoat or weasel. He adds:—"Compared with the North of England, it is quite a
rare thing here for the stoat to turn white, but I have just received one from as far
south as Sussex that is all white except the top of the head and, of course, the tip of
the tail."