THE 



AMERICAN NATURALIST 



Vol. XLVI September, 1912 



ASYMMETRIC COLOR RESKM HLANCK IN TIIK 

 GUINEA PIG 1 



PROFESSOR JOSEPH H. KASTLK AND G. I). HUCKNEB 



As is well known, the guinea pig shows tin- grealest 

 diversity of color, and a great diversity in distribution of 

 color over the body of the animal. In the course of our 

 experience with these animals in physiological and toxi- 

 co logical work we have .-ecu pigs that were entirely Mack, 

 others that were entirely brown, others of a pure albino 

 variety, and more commonly than any of these pure color 

 strains, those showing apparently every possible varia- 

 tion in the arrangement and distribution of these funda- 

 mental colors over the body. To what extent the color of 

 the guinea pig and its variations as the result of the cross 

 breeding of several strains of different colors have been 

 the subject of exact scientific observation, we are unable 

 to say, and the subject is so far removed from those ordi- 

 narily engaging our attention that it would take us too 

 long to familiarize ourselves with this knowledge, partic- 

 ularly should it prove in any way extensive. In the course 

 of some of our recent investigations, however, we have 

 observed what seems to us to be a rather remarkable <-a-e 

 of asymmetric color resemblance and distribution ot 

 color on the part of the daughter for the mother in the 

 guinea pig, which is perhaps worthy of note to those more 

 deeply interested in matters of this kind. 



One of our female guinea pigs which has been under 

 observation and experimentation tor some time. No. 

 was aborted by means of calcium lactate 2 on March *_'!'. 



