34 STUDIES IN THE EVOLUTION OF ANIMALS 



The shading of a, b, c is intended to show the brownish 

 colour of the enclosed space, so different from the general ground- 

 colour. 



In the same figure (d) I have given a row of rosettes taken 

 from the flank of a Leopard skin, disposed diagonally. Like the 

 Ocelot rosettes, they might readily coalesce into stripes. Indeed, 

 there are many Tiger skins (Fig. 24) which have their stripes in 

 pairs ; and many brindled Dogs have similar markings. These 

 may have resulted from such a disposition of rosettes as that here 

 shown. I have seen several Leopard skins with their flank rosettes 

 disposed in slanting rows (Fig. 15, a). 



To understand the transformation of the Ocelot rosettes, we 

 should bear in mind that the Jaguar rosettes are made up typically 

 of a polygonal ring of spots enclosing a space which is of a darker 

 colour than the zV/ter-rosette spaces, and that the enclosed space 

 contains some minute black specks. We find all these elements 

 in the Ocelot markings, only they are differently arranged. 1 



Reference to the Ocelot figure on p. 417 of the Royal Nat. Hist. 

 will make the transformation of the Jaguar rosettes into Ocelot bands 

 quite clear. In this figure the lower row of flank marks is made up 

 of distinct rosettes composed of distinct spots, like those of some 

 variations of the Jaguar. The next row above it is largely made 

 up of fused rosettes, and the row above that again is one long band 

 of fused rosettes, the rings becoming the black border of the band, 

 and the central spots becoming a row of small spots in the middle 

 of the band. The rest of the body is covered with patches of 

 fused rosettes. The Ocelot is essentially a South American 

 species, and like its close relative, the Jaguar, is said to be an 

 expert climber. 



From the markings of the ocelot the transition is easy to those 



See Stuffed Animals, Natural History Museum case containing Ocelots. 



