102 AFRICAN GAME ANIMALS 



coloration patterns of a strikingly advertising quality. 

 The stripes of the eland had no effect, one way or the other, 

 in advertising or concealing it, when compared with the 

 unstriped roan. The black lateral and leg markings of 

 the oryx were advertising, as was the case with the black 

 lateral lines on the Tommy gazelles and on the female and 

 young Grant gazelles. The male Grant gazelle was as 

 conceahngly colored as the roan and eland and, because of 

 its smaller size, less conspicuous. The dark-gray water- 

 buck and reddish impalla were more conspicuous when 

 away from cover, and when thus away from cover never 

 sought safety in trying to escape observation; nor did the 

 reddish kobs. But these animals often sought the con- 

 cealment of cover, unlike the regular game of the open 

 plains. The waterbuck, eland, roan, oryx, and big gazelle 

 seemed a trifle the least conspicuous on moonless nights; 

 if the nights were dark all the animals were practically 

 invisible, and yet these seemed to be the nights when the 

 lion was boldest and most successful. The wildebeest, 

 topi, and hartebeest are advertisingly colored compared to 

 the eland, oryx, and roan of the same habitat. We saw the 

 former more readily and at a greater distance than the 

 latter, but careful study on the ground failed to show that 

 this was of any disadvantage to the former or produced any 

 change in habits. 



The big game of the plains live substantially similar lives, 

 and trust exclusively to their senses, their watchfulness, and 

 their ability to run away. Coloration plays no part in 

 shielding them from their foes; nor do they seek to take 

 advantage of cover; habit is everything. The lion's eye- 

 sight is so good that probably none of these animals ever 



