X COLOURS AXD ORNAMENTS CHARACTERISTIC OF SEX 289 



alternate dark or light bands or spots, such as the zebra, some 

 deer, or the carnivora, we find, first, that the region of the 

 spinal column is marked by a dark stripe ; secondly, that the 

 regions of the appendages, or limbs, are differentl}' marked ; 

 thirdly, that the flanks are striped or spotted, along or be- 

 tween the regions of the lines of the ribs ; fourthly, that the 

 shoulder and hip regions are marked by curved lines ; fifthly, 

 that the pattern changes, and the direction of the lines, or 

 spots, at the head, neck, and every joint of the limbs ; and 

 lastly, that the tips of the ears, nose, tail, and feet, and the 

 eye are emphasised in colour. In spotted animals the greatest 

 length of the spot is generally in the direction of the largest 

 development of the skeleton." 



This structural decoration is well seen in many insects. In 

 caterpillars, similar spots and markings are repeated in each 

 segment, except where modified for some form of protection. 

 In butterflies, the spots and bands usually have reference to 

 the form of the wing and the arrangement of the ner\T^ires ; 

 and there is much evidence to show that the primitive mark- 

 ings are always spots in the cells, or between the nervures, or 

 at the junctions of nervures, the extension and coalescence of 

 these spots forming borders, bands, or blotches, which have 

 become modified in infinitely varied ways for protection, 

 warning, or recognition. Even in birds, the distribution of 

 colours and markings follows generally the same law. The 

 crown of the head, the throat, the ear-coverts, and the eyes 

 have usually distinct tints in all highly coloured birds ; the 

 region of the furcula has often a distinct patch of colour, 

 as have the pectoral muscles, the uropygium or root of the tail, 

 and the under tail-coverts.^ 



Mr. Tylor was of opinion that the primitive form of 

 ornamentation consisted of spots, the confluence of these in 

 certain directions forminglines or bands; and, these again, some- 

 times coalescing into blotches, or into more or less uniform 

 tints covering a large portion of the surface of the body. The 

 young lion and tiger are both spotted ; and in the Java hog 

 (Sus ^-ittatus) very young animals are banded, but have s]^ots 

 over the shoulders and thighs. These spots run into stripes 



-1 Coloration of Animals, PI. X, p. 90 ; and Pis. II, III, and IV, pp. 30, 

 40, 42. 



U 



