342 THE REDISCOVERED COUNTRY 



the dawn of his race until the present time is as capable of 

 modifying structure and colour * as the continued and per- 

 sistent pursuit by lions and other carnivores, is at least a 

 debatable possibility. Personally, I do not see, if a beast 

 is to be concealed at all, why it is or has been of more im- 

 portance to him to be concealed from the erect or the prone 

 destroyer. 



But let that pass. Let us consider the case entirely, as 

 Mr. Thayer asks us, from the lion's point of view. Also, 

 for the sake of the argument, let us for the moment pass over 

 the point as to whether or not an animal against the skyline 

 is any better concealed than an animal against a solid back- 

 ground. From the lion 's point of view is an animal in the 

 majority of cases seen against the sky? On the open plains, 

 yes. In cover or in a country the least bit broken, de- 

 cidedly not. This is a matter of repeated experiments in the 

 field, on living game, and is a definite conclusion. 



This is of course at a distance of from thirty yards out 

 to any Hmit; but if I understand Mr. Thayer's diagram 

 aright, he claims the action of this principle for all distances. 

 Of extremely close range, say within the three or four yards 

 of a lion's spring, I am unable to advance evidence from 

 the field. It is not my purpose to offer my private opinions 

 unless apparently supported by actual observation. 



As to the point we waived a moment ago, i. fe., whether or 

 not an animal is on the average more or less visible against 

 the sky than against the earth, my opinion is against Mr. 

 Thayer. I came to this opinion only after repeated obser- 



* That the habits and environment of a large beast do modify his struc- 

 ture or colour is denied by men of very good judgment. 



