2 P. W. WHITING 
they pass outward and down the sides, the areas of greater ac- 
tivity tend to thicken the transverse bands. In the areas of less 
activity the transverse bands are often evanescent. It thus ap- 
pears that black or orange spots, in tabbies or yellows, respec- 
tively, are produced in the regions of greatest metabolic activity. 
The ticking and the banding factors appear to act in the same 
regions, and thus the ticking reveals the straw-colored rather 
than the orange bands. Agouti is, however, in all probability 
uniform over the body surface in cats as in rodents. This mat- 
ter will be discussed in detail after the presentation of data. 
The skin shown in figure B had a high degree of ticking, and 
thus shows the longitudinal bands clearly. The cat shown in 
figure A is less ticked and the increased amount of black 
pigment on the back obscures the longitudinal bands. . Figure 
D shows a very dark-striped tabby. While the bands on the 
sides are clearly seen, the longitudinal bands are obliterated by 
the black pigment. The cats shown in figures B and D are 
from the same litter and represent extreme segregation of ticking. 
As has been said, ticking increases in cats as in rodents with 
maturity.. The same kitten may, therefore, show different de- 
grees of it at different ages. It is thus necessary to consider age 
in making comparisons with respect to this character. Ticking 
always segregates sharply from black. Various degrees of tick- 
ing ranging from that shown in figure B to that shown in figure D, 
however, occur. I have classified the extremes tentatively as 
A’ and A, but their allelomorphism with a is uncertain. There 
may be intermediate allelomorphs or the variations may be due 
to modifiers. 
The blotched pattern is shown in figures F and H. Figure F 
is from a kitten.extremely ticked at birth. Such a kitten de- 
velops into a cat that has yellow in all of its hairs. The black 
bands of the kitten become ticked in the adult. The lighter 
bands become entirely straw-colored. We have in this extreme 
ticking an approach toward the sooty yellow, as in the mouse. 
The skin shown in figure H is from a kitten one week old. 
Nevertheless, it is much darker than that shown in figure F. 
Such a kitten develops into a dark-blotched adult. The ticking 
