The Descent of Man

form linking together two groups, for it is intermediate
in certain osteological characters
between the pachyderms and ruminants, which
were formerly thought to be quite distinct. (42.
Falconer and Cautley, 'Proc. Geolog. Soc.' 1843;
and Falconer's 'Pal. Memoirs,' vol. i. p. 196.)
A curious difficulty here arises. If we admit
that coloured spots and stripes were first acquired
as ornaments, how comes it that so many
existing deer, the descendants of an aboriginally
spotted animal, and all the species of pigs
and tapirs, the descendants of an aboriginally
striped animal, have lost in their adult state
their former ornaments? I cannot satisfactorily
answer this question. We may feel almost sure
that the spots and stripes disappeared at or
near maturity in the progenitors of our existing
species, so that they were still retained by the
young; and, owing to the law of inheritance at
corresponding ages, were transmitted to the
young of all succeeding generations. It may