FLESH-EATING MAMMALS 9 



sight appear to favour concealment, but those who have seen the 

 animal among the reeds and grasses of his native jungle, where 

 patches of light and snade alternate in a confused way, assure 

 us that such is the case. 



The tawny colour of the Lion {^Felis leo) of the Old World, 

 and of the American "lion" or Puma {Felis concolor) (fig. 307), 



Fig. 307. — Puma {Felis concolor) 



is also an example of aggressive coloration, harmonizing with 

 the sandy wastes that are more particularly affected by these 

 animals. A similar coloration is characteristic of desert forms 

 belonging to widely diverse groups, though in many cases pro- 

 tection is the object sought. It is a curious fact that Lion and 

 Puma cubs differ greatly in colouring from the adults, for the 

 former are striped and the latter spotted. From this it may 

 reasonably be inferred that these uniformly coloured species are 

 descended from striped and spotted forms, and if this inference 

 be correct it is a good example of the " recapitulation " of the 

 history of the species in the life-history of the individual. 



