568 AFRICAN GAME ANIMALS 



spicuous to permit it to escape being seen. If in thick grass 

 it cannot be seen because of the physical screen of the cover. 

 If in bush, or lying where there is shifting light and shadow, 

 even from thin little trees, it may be difficult to make out, 

 because under such circumstances, the play of shade and 

 sunlight, the varying vistas, the interposed twiggery and 

 patches of leafage, and the many different contours and color 

 values tend to make it difficult for the eye to pick out any 

 motionless object of any color. Moreover, absolute immo- 

 bility will often render any object, of no matter what color 

 or shape, likely to escape hasty notice. But, after making 

 all allowances, it seems certain that on the whole the color- 

 ation of the little steinbok is revealing; and its habits are 

 such that concealing coloration would certainly be a benefit 

 to it; and yet it is common, and it persists in the land much 

 longer than most antelopes after man appears. Evidently 

 the other qualities which have helped it in the struggle for 

 life have so far outweighed the matter of coloration that it 

 has been unaffected by the latter, or so little affected that 

 the coloration has never become concealing. 



The Masai steinbok is distinguishable from the typical 

 race from South Africa with difficulty. The general color- 

 ation is somewhat darker and the white areas about the 

 eyes and muzzle are more extensive. Specimens from the 

 Zambesi River which we have compared are scarcely distin- 

 guishable by coloration or size from British East African 

 specimens. The presence of a dark crescent on the crown 

 between the ears in the typical race is sometimes given as 

 a character, but this dark patch is quite variable and is 

 present in half the specimens from East Africa examined, 

 irrespective of locality or sex. 



The color of the upper parts is bright sorrel or vinaceous- 

 tawny. The hair is everywhere minutely speckled with white. 



