68 THE MENDEL JOURNAL 



Although historical records show that the Striped 

 Tabby has been a domesticated form in Europe at 

 least from the 16th century — and no one knows how 

 much earlier — and is abundant everywhere both in 

 town and country places, at least in England, 

 many English writers in modern times seem to have 

 been unaware of its existence. Examples introduced 

 into the tropics and run wild have been more than 

 once described and named as new varieties or species 

 allied in the opinion of some authors to the European 

 Wild Cat, in that of others to the African Wild Cat. 



Although the origin of the Striped Tabby may be 

 claimed with some assurance as definitely established, 

 that of the Blotched or Marbled Tabby (Plate 2) is at 

 present not only quite unknown, but seems likely to 

 remain for ever a mystery. Several hypotheses may 

 be held with respect to it. It may have arisen per 

 saltum as an abrupt mutation from the Striped Tabby 

 and have been capable of preservation by owners 

 and breeders who admired the type, because of its 

 segregability in inheritance. The only reason 

 that can be alleged against the idea of its 

 being a mutation is the fact that no such 

 variation has ever been known to occur in any 

 species of Felis. Nevertheless it is a possible explana- 

 tion of the phenomenon. If it be the true one, the 

 Blotched Tabby must be described as a highly 

 interesting instance of abnormal dimorphism of, 

 pattern. It seems quite certain, however, that this 

 pattern has not been preserved by the art of selective 

 breeding, because, with the possible exception of the 



