SPOTS AND STRIPES IN MAMMALS 
Suc of my readers as have considered the subject at 
all may be aware that in those animals whose fur is 
ornamented with dark or light markings, these markings 
generally take the form either of longitudinal or transverse 
bands, or of spots; the latter being frequently arranged in © 
more or less distinctly defined longitudinal lines, but never 
in transverse bands. Moreover, these markings, especially — 
in the case of stripes and bands, are generally most de- © 
veloped on the upper surface of the body, although spots 
may be equally present on both the upper and the lower 
surfaces of the body. Many mammals, again, whether they 
be spotted or whether they be striped, have their tails 
marked by dark rings on a light ground; but this feature 
is also present in others in which the colour of the body 
is of a uniform tint. It must not, however, be supposed 
that there is any sharply defined distinction between spotted 
and striped mammals, many of the civets, as well as some 
of the cats, having markings intermediate between true 
orgies 
spots and stripes. Spots, again, are somewhat variable in ° 
configuration, some animals, like the hunting-leopard, having 
solid circular dark spots, while in others, such as the 
leopard and jaguar, they assume the form of dark rings 
enclosing a light centre. In other cases, as in the giraffe, _ 
the spots are enlarged so as to form large and more or 
less quadrangular blotches. 
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