432 PACKARD— ORIGIN OF MARKINGS OF ORGANISMS. [Dec. 2, 



On the other hand arboreal mammals, as the squirrels, tree 

 monkeys, etc., have lost their primitive markings, so that we have 

 in them an entire group of unmarked species, or what markings are 

 left are confined to a ring on the tail, and to shorter or longer stripes 

 on the forehead and back ; such are Nasua, Procyon, Ailurus, Bassa- 

 ris, Lemur calla, several species of Hapale, as also Cebus leucogenys. 



Leaving the tropical forests, Sokolowsky then considers the style 

 of marking of those mammals inhabiting steppes, prairies surround- 

 ing the edge of woods, savannas, pampas, and finally deserts. He 

 confines himself to the steppes of middle and southern Africa, with 

 their often rich vegetation and great seasonal changes, so that the 

 mammalian life has become adapted to the most varying and strict 

 privations and necessities. 



In the mammals of the grassy steppes or plains, while originally 

 migrating from forest and bush regions, the markings have under- 

 gone a process of reduction, and there are two styles of markings, 

 i.e., the dots and the diagonal stripes. Martin alleges that the 

 form of leopard frequenting the extensive grassy plains of the flat Nile 

 lands has a dotted coat suggestive of the markings of the geparde. 

 The sleek spotted mammals of the steppes also show similar modi- 

 fications in markings. Felis serval, although it conforms most 

 closely to the forest forms, still shows even on the back of the head 

 and on the shoulders four longitudinal black stripes which are cer- 

 tainly mingled with spots, whereas on the cheeks occur small spots 

 recalling the dots of the geparde, those on the side of the body 

 being larger. The spotted hyena {^Hycena acuta) lurks on the edges 

 of the deserts, and it presents many climatic variations differing in 

 color and markings, while the sojourn in the steppes has produced an 

 irregular arrangement of spots. The uniformly dusky-toned ground- 

 color of its coat so blends at nightfall with the irregularly placed 

 spots that it may be justly regarded as a twilight clothing. 



Sokolowsky here refers to the fact that each style of marking, 

 however varied in color in the daytime, yet at the appearance of 

 darkness is so combined with the ground-tone of the coat and with 

 the surroundings that a protective clothing is provided at night 

 also. 



Mammals which are notoriously nocturnal in their habits are 

 generally destitute of markings, as are the burrowing mice and rats 

 which live on the ground in Northern Africa. 



The giraffe has a special kind of spotted marking. The large 



