THE VISION OF GAME ANIMALS. 125 



natural habitat of all the largest and heaviest quadru- 

 peds, * in whose case the sense of sight seems to be 

 limited, almost in inverse ratio to their size and 

 strength. None of these immense beasts are gifted 

 with keenness of vision this is so in all the leading 

 varieties, as the elephant, the rhinoceros, and the 

 buffalo while on the other hand the smaller and weaker 

 quadrupeds which are unable to protect themselves by 

 their personal prowess, are usually endowed with par- 

 ticularly sharp eyes. 



Animals which are livers upon the plains country 

 may however on the whole be considered much more 

 keen-sighted than dwellers in forests, as they hav% 

 only their sharp eyes and speed to depend upon, to 

 escape from impending danger, and are unable to 

 take advantage of cover in the way that forest 

 animals are able to do, or to rely upon their skill 

 in hiding, as the latter do so skilfully. 



In accordance with the great law of the survival 

 of the fittest, Nature has therefore evolved the keen- 

 est eyes among her creatures inhabiting the open 

 plains. 



There is however, one notable exception to this 

 rule, namely that of the American buffalo or bison, 

 (Bos Americanus) another heavy and powerful animal 

 which can trust to its great physical strength to beat 

 off an assailant. The bison is therefore much less well 

 endowed with eyesight than any of its weaker com- 

 panions, and may on the whole be considered decidedly 

 a dull-sighted beast. 



Moreover animals of the deer tribe which are mostly 



* The bush forest or jungle is intended to be included when speaking 

 of the forest here, and not merely the heavy forest of large-sized trees- 



