36 



STUDIES IN THE EVOLUTION OF ANIMALS 



Fig. 21 is the picture of a living Tiger, and Figs. 22 and 23 are 

 the pictures of two very differently marked Tiger skins. It will 

 be noted that on all three there are some spots which have not 

 coalesced into stripes. 



A glance at the spots of the living Cheetah and of the Cheetah 

 skin (Figs. lo and 11) will show that in many places they are 

 arranged in transverse rows, viz., on the flanks and on the fore-legs ; 

 the Leopard spots on the fore-legs are also arranged in rows. A 



Fig. 21. — Picture of a living Tiger, from a photograph by Ottomar Anechiitz. 



very little change will make the spots closer, and a further change 

 will first amalgamate them into beady strings ^ and then turn them 

 into bands, as we have seen occur in the Ocelots ; only in the Tiger 

 and certain Cats the bands are transverse and their margins are 

 sharp, while in the Ocelot they are longitudinal and their margins 

 are scolloped. 



It is very strange that spots in certain animals, and in certain 



' In a previous note I mentioned having seen Cheetah spots run into beaded strings. 



