COLORATION OI' GAME ANIMALS. 49 



of shadows unobserved, but what purpose such protective coloration can serve him, 

 I fail to see. The only time that it may be of use to him is in prowling round 

 villages, and there he runs little danger, for almost all natives treat him with 

 forbearance and even with veneration. As he takes the place of the family vault 

 with many tribes, perhaps this respect for him is not out of place. Excepting, then, 

 the very faint risk he runs from mankind, I do not see that he has anything to fear. 

 For, so far as I am aware, there is no animal which he desires to avoid, nor is there 

 any animal he habitually makes it his business to stalk or catch. 



The hunting-dog is coloured very much in the same style as the spotted hyaena, 

 and this for no apparent reason, for anything like a stalk is quite foreign to 

 his nature. 



Whatever the reason for the coloration of these two animals may be, it is most 

 unlikely that their colours have been caused by any need for protection. It is, 

 however, very possible that similar circumstances of climate or environment may 

 account for the fact that their schemes of coloration are much on the same 

 principle. 



Of other beasts of prey, the cheetah is an animal which neither has any cause 

 for assuming an inconspicuous costume nor does his coat make any attempt at 

 appearing inconspicuous. For the cheetah lives by running down his prey without 

 much pretence at a stalk when once in the vicinity of his prey, and, indeed, his 

 long legs are little adapted for anything in the nature of crouching and stalking. 

 Seen hunting by day he is a most conspicuous animal. A possible explanation of his 

 colour may be that his far ancestors were nocturnal, forest-dwelling animals. If 

 this was so, he has since then changed his form and mode of living, while his 

 coat has remained much the same, except that it has faded to a lighter colour in the 

 sunlight. The fact that lion cubs are spotted seems to point to the conclusion that 

 all African beasts of prey were originally spotted, and therefore were also originally 

 bush-dwellers. 



To turn from the hunters to the hunted, very few game animals seem to rely on 

 protective coloration as a means of escaping observation, however suitably they may 

 be coloured. They appear to rely on fleetness of foot, quickness of eye and ear, 

 or on scenting powers, or in ability to pass rapidly through or over difficult or broken 

 country, to escape their enemies, but hardly ever do they rely on sitting still and 

 pretending to be a bush or an ant-hill. In fact, the only game which regularly 

 sit tight are the very small animals and little buck, as oribi, duiker, hare, etc. 

 These little animals will often lie perfectly still and let one pass within 10 or 

 20yds. of them. If, however, one walks almost on the top of them they will spring up 



H 



