THE GREW ZEBRA 1 65 



absolutely parched earth. A very curious point 

 is well illustrated in this photograph. 



It might reasonably be supposed that so boldly 

 striped an animal as a zebra would be conspicuous 

 enough even at a distance, but this proves not to 

 be the case, and indeed it has been recorded of 

 all three species that in the wild state their 

 markings render them practically invisible. Thus 

 Sir John Barrow, writing in 1801 of the mountain 

 zebra, says, "the black and buff zebra even 

 when very near it and especially if in motion 

 appears of a dull bluish ash colour like the 

 common ass." The photograph of zebra and 

 oryx above alluded to gives an excellent idea of 

 how in Grevys zebra also the striping merges 

 into the ground colour, the animal when viewed 

 from a distance appearing of a uniform dun hue. 

 Burchell's zebra is similarly inconspicuous when 

 seen a long way off: experiments made by me in 

 August, 1902, on a pair of tame individuals turned 

 out to grass demonstrated that the stripes of 

 Equus burchellii begin to blend with the ground 

 colour at a paced distance of 1 50 yards. 



Having thus considered the history and habits 

 of Grevy's zebra one may now discuss the future 

 of the animal : indeed in the future lies the 

 main interest of any study of this species. The 

 past indicates it as a striking figure in the 

 semi-legendary tales of ancient and mediaeval 



