FACTORS IN THE COLORATION OF ANIMALS 193 



the spots hardly visible, while, when the animal is rolled up into a 

 ball, the spots are wholly invisible. 



In the case of Jaguars and Leopards, which are also spotted on 

 the abdomen, it might be argued that, as these animals may some- 

 times climb up trees, their abdominal surface, looked at from 

 below, would harmonise with the lights and shades of the foliage ; 



Fig. 73.— One of the Crocodiles in the Zoological Gardens, from a photograph. 



and in the case of a Tiger, which has a striped abdomen, we might 

 say that, if it were lying down among the long grass, in which it is 

 often found, its abdomen would also harmonise with the lights and 

 shades of the grass stems. But no such excuse can be found for 

 the spotting on the abdomen of the Armadillo, nevertheless the 

 spots on its lower surface are there ! 



To my mind they can only be explained as impressions^ 



N 



