x <- replicate(8, arima.sim(list(ar = 0.1, ma = 2.5), 4))
preylabs <- paste("Prey", 1:4)  # for plotting

## the ugly way ----
library(compactr)  # a very nice convenience package for ploting
eplot(xlim = c(1, 4), ylim = c(-9, 10),
      xat = 1:4, xticklab = preylabs,
      ylab = "Time", main = "Ugly")
invisible(apply(x, 2, function(xj) {
  points(xj, pch = 16)
  lines(xj)
}))

## checkerboard ----

checkercols <- colorRamp(c("white", "black"))((1:20)/20) / 255
checkercols <- apply(checkercols, 1, function (x) rgb(x[1], x[2], x[3]))

image(x, col = checkercols, xaxt = "n", yaxt = "n")
axis(1, at = (0:3) / 3, labels = preylabs)
axis(2, at = (0:7) / 7, labels = 1:8)
mtext("Individual", 2, line = 2)
title(main = "I like these", outer = TRUE, line = -1.5)

## small multiples ----

op <- par
par(mfrow = c(2, 4),
    mar = rep(0.75, 4),
    oma = c(2.5, 2.5, 3, 1))
invisible(apply(x, 2, function (xj) {
  eplot(xlim = c(1, 4), ylim = c(-9, 10), xat = 1:4)
  points(xj, pch = 16)
  lines(xj)
}))
title(main = "These can be good, too", outer = TRUE, cex.main = 1.5)
mtext("Time", 2, line = 1, outer = TRUE)
mtext("Prey", 1, line = 1, outer = TRUE)
par(op)