624 THE DESCENT OF MAN. 



pear during the winter when the coat is brown.* In both 

 these species the young are spotted. In the Virginian deer 

 the young are likewise spotted, and about five per cent of the 

 adult animals living in Judge Caton's park, as I am 

 informed by him, temporarily exhibit at the period when 

 the red summer coat is being replaced by the bluish winter 

 coat, a row of spots on each flank, which are always the 

 same in number, though very variable in distinctness. 

 From this condition there is but a very small step to the 

 complete absence of spots in the adults at all seasons; and, 

 lastly, to their absence at all ages and seasons, as occurs 

 with certain species. From the existence of this perfect 

 series, and more especially from the fawns of so many 

 species being spotted, we may conclude that the now living 

 members of the deer family are the descendants of some 

 ancient species which, like the axis deer, was spotted at all 

 ages and seasons. A still more ancient progenitor probably 

 somewhat resembled the Hyomoschvs aquaticus for this 

 animal is spotted, and the hornless males have large 

 exserted canine teeth, of which some few true deer still 

 retain rudiments. Hyomoschus, also, offers one of those 

 interesting cases of a form linking together two grouj^s, for 

 it is intermediate in certain osteological characters between 

 the pachyderms and ruminants, which were formerly 

 thought to be quite distinct, f 



A curious difficulty here arises. If we admit that 

 colored spots and stripes were first acquired as ornaments, 

 how comes it that so many existing deer, the descendants 

 of an aboriginally spotted animal, and all the species 

 of pigs and tapirs, the descendants of an aboriginally 

 striped animal, have lost in their adult state their former 

 ornaments ? I cannot satisfactorily answer this question. 

 We may feel almost sure that the spots and stripes disap- 

 peared at or near maturity in the progenitors of our exist- 

 ing species, so that they were still retained by the young; 

 and, owing to the law of inheritance at corresponding ages, 

 were transmitted to the young of all succeeding generations. 



*Dr. Gray, "Gleanings from the Menagerie of Knowsley," p. 64. 

 Mr. Blytb. in speaking ('* Land and Water," 1869, p. 42) of the hog- 

 deer of Ceylon, says it is more brightly spotted with white than the 

 common hog-deer, at the season when it renews its horns. 



f Falconer and Cautley, " Proc. Geolog. Soc," 1843: and Falconer's 

 " Pftl, Memoirs," vol. i, p. 196, 



