272 THE FAUNA OF BRITISH EAST AFRICA part hi 



hippopotamus had finally succumbed to loss of blood ; its 

 skin was terribly scratched by claws and teeth, and the lower 

 part of the neck had been torn away. The hippopotamus was 

 about two-thirds grown, and its skull (which I brought back 

 to London) measured 19 inches in length. 



Most of the larger mammals in British East Africa do not 

 seem to adopt any especially protective colouring, but trust 

 for safety to their speed, and to a good outlook against their 

 foes. Many of the antelope when feeding have some of the 

 herd posted as sentries, to watch for the approach of danger. 

 These outposts may often be seen standing on an ant-hill ; 

 thfey do their duty so efficiently that it is generally difficult to 

 stalk the herd. In some cases, however, a coloration, which 

 at first sight would appear to render the animals extremely 

 conspicuous, is found to be really protective. Thus the 

 monkey Colobus occidentalis is covered with a long silky fur 

 arranged in alternate stripes of black and white, so hand- 

 some that the skin is much prized by the Masai for making 

 head ornaments. The contrast of black and white is so 

 marked, that at first sight it would seem to preclude con- 

 cealment, but its value is at once evident when the animal is 

 seen at home. This monkey lives in the high forests of 

 Abyssinia, Kenya, Kilima Njaro, and Settima, where the 

 trees have black trunks and branches, draped with long gray 

 masses of beardmoss or lichen. As the monkeys hang from 

 the branches they so closely resemble the lichen, that I found 

 it impossible to recognise them when but a short distance 

 away. 



The ornamentation of the zebra was also a puzzle to me 

 till I saw them at home. The ordinary explanation of striped 

 animals, such as the tiger, is that the stripes resemble bands of 

 light seen through tall grasses and jungle. But this is not 

 applicable to the zebra, which lives in open plains. Watch the 

 zebra on these, however, and the value of the coloration is 

 apparent. At a distance of from 250 to 300 yards the stripes 

 of the East African species {Equus boeJwii) cease to be visible, 

 and the animal appears of a dull gray colour, like that with 

 which warships are painted to render them inconspicuous. In 

 dull cloudy weather, and especially at dawn and sunset, which 

 are the most dangerous times for game, the zebra is practically 



