Abstract
AT every turn the students of natural history and of biology are compelled to consider the colorations of animals, and the first essential is to know what are the physical and chemical characters of the pigments with which they have to deal—and, if possible, how they are produced. Some pigments are excretory, others for respiration, others for nutrition, and others to fix energy (chlorophyll). Living matter has a colour of its own and there are pigments in the blood and other internal tissues, in special pigment cells, usually provided with pseudopodia, and in the exoskeletons of animals. Plants have chlorophyll and the colours in fruits are especially interesting. Then there are colours due to reflection, to refraction, and to light decomposition. Lastly, an animal may be coloured by its food. The discussion from the point of view of protective coloration is very short, but it is unnecessary, since the facts relating to all types of colour are given succinctly so that the student may judge for himself. We recommend this as a book useful to and within the means of every biologist. It has an excellent bibliography.
Couleurs et pigments des êtres vivants.
Dr. Jean Verne. (Collection Armand Colin: Section de biologie, No. 123.) Pp. 219. (Paris: Armand Colin, 1930.) 10.50 francs.
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Our Bookshelf. Nature 127, 365 (1931). https://doi.org/10.1038/127365a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/127365a0
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