118 AFRICAN GAME ANIMALS 



except the elephant. It never sought to hide or to escape 

 notice. The black, monochrome buffalo was not nearly as 

 conspicuous, in spite of its coloration, because the giraffe's 

 size and shape rendered it visible at such a distance that 

 the coloration was of no consequence. Even the bulky- 

 monochrome rhinoceros was usually made out at a distance 

 less easily than the giraffe; for the giraffe rarely lies down 

 and the rhino lies down as freely as a pig. Of course, under 

 certain circumstances every animal, no matter of what 

 shape, size, or color, even the elephant itself, becomes hard 

 to see if it remains absolutely motionless. The coloration 

 of the giraffe might, seemingly, be of benefit to the buffalo 

 on account of the buffalo's size and habits; yet, as a matter 

 of fact, the buffalo has a dark, highly advertising coloration 

 — intensity of color being of far more consequence in either 

 revealing or concealing an animal than either pattern or 

 countershading. But the buffalo is not seemingly harmed 

 by its coloration. 



The study of American big game shows that coloration 

 plays an unimportant part as a factor of survival value in 

 their life-histories. The bison and peccary are neither 

 countershaded nor concealingly colored. The color of the 

 white goat is highly advertising, especially at the most 

 critical period of its life, when the kid is young and is in 

 danger from the eagle. The prongbuck, although counter- 

 shaded to the extent of having a white belly, possesses a 

 highly advertising coloration. It never hides or seeks to 

 escape or does escape observation when adult; the very 

 young, as with the young of all these animals, do try to 

 hide, lying flat on the ground with outstretched neck, in 

 which position the countershading disappears. Moose and 



