INHERITANCE OF COAT-COLOR IN CATS 541 
Albinism, as we have it in the rodents, is apparently un’ nown 
in cats. It is possible that Siamese dilution represents an ap- 
proach toward this condition. 
Variations in the tone of coloration are extensive, but appar- 
ently not clearly segregating. Silvers represent a reduction of 
yellow pigment and also of black. Smokes are very dark sil- 
vers. The lighter bands of tabbies are straw- or cream-colored, 
varying to white in silver tabbies and brown in brown tabbies. 
Occasionally the brown varies to a rusty red. Silver creams are 
yellow cats in which the yellow pigment is reduced to a mini- 
mum so that the hair sometimes appears almost white. Accord- 
ing to fanciers, silver tabbies bred together occasionally throw 
brown tabbies. 
II. PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION OF DATA 
A. Maltese dilution 
Maltese dilution appears to be a simple Mendelian recessive. 
It apparently exists in combination with all other factorial dif- 
ferences, but I have not as yet seen its representative in the 
lined or narrow type of banding. It is always sharply distin- 
euishable from black, but, shows considerable variation in its 
own intensity. It is to be compared to slaty-blue in the mouse, 
the rabbit, and the dog. No corresponding color is known in 
the rat or in the guinea-pig. Cream or dull yellow is its corre- 
sponding color.in the yellow series; blue and cream, in the 
tortoiseshell. Y 
Five litters from dilute by dilute gave sixteen dilutes—eight 
males and eight females. 
Six litters from intense by intense gave twenty-four intense— 
sixteen males and eight females. 
Five litters from intense males by dilute females gave five 
intense males, nine intense females, and one dilute male. 
Hight litters from dilute males by intense females gave nine 
intense males, three intense females, nine dilute males, and 
eleven dilute females. 
These data show merely that maltese dilution is not sex- 
linked. 
THE JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY, VOL. 25, NO. 2 
