With Flashlight and Rifle ^ 



terniL'ci one ut the grandest spectacles in all the animal 

 world. 



According to statistics piiblishtnl at Dar-es-Salaani 

 there are abcnit fitt\' thousand zebras in German West 

 Africa. I cannot conceix'e how any one has the courage to 

 give such figures. A reckoning is so difficult ; personally 

 I should reckon it at a much higher hgurc; — at quite several 

 hundred thousand head ! However this may be, the 

 fifty thousand is much too low. 



It is a curious fact that the striking black-and-white 

 striped colouring of the zebras does not in anv way 

 render them noticeable in the surrounding landscape. 

 According to the light, zebras seem quite difiercmtly 

 colouretl, even to looking grey all over ; but even when 

 their black-and-white colouring can l)e discerned close at 

 hand it seems to harmonise in a remarkable manner with 

 the colourinij of the velt. 



A curious example of protective resemblance is brought 

 before our eyes when zebras arc; taking their noonday 

 rest undcT the shadv trees and l)ushes ; the llutteriniJ: 

 shadows made by the motion of the foliage mingle strangely 

 with the stripes of the zebras. The assertion thai wild 

 asses are to be found in (ierman West ^Xlrica is 

 entirely founded on this tact. Morco\cr zebras verv 

 often roll in the dust, and then appear quite brcnvn or 

 red colouretl. 



'! he traxc-ller o\er the East African deserts has no 

 difficulty in understanding that the wild horses ot luirope 

 in times long past belonged to the most coveted wild 

 game ot the then primili\(^ hunting-|,«eoplc. Ww. East 



