THE REDISCOVERED COUNTRY 349 



spicuous beasts, but it never conceals them in circumstances 

 where any animal would not be concealed. The zebra and 

 topi, however, are very often actually "concealed" when 

 in reality standing in "plain sight." 



I offer these as new and interesting facts, well established 

 by repeated observation. Whether the zebra's stripes are 

 developed by the necessity of concealment in thin brush or 

 not I leave to deeper philosophers than myself. 



In thick cover, however, any motionless animal is pretty 

 well concealed, whatever his scheme of colour. I have been 

 within a few yards of elephants, rhinoceros, and buffalo — all 

 large monochromatic beasts without a hint of countershading 

 — and had difficulty in making them out. I honestly do not 

 think they would have been more invisible had they been 

 spotted or striped. On the other hand, I have without 

 difficulty made out leopards, giraffes, and spotted hyenas 

 in the thickest sun-and-shade surroundings. It is my de- 

 liberate conclusion, that, in thick cover, the variety of light 

 and shade, of mass and detail, is normally so great that it 

 has room for any mass or any combination of dark and 

 light. In other words, almost any beast not advertisingly 

 blazened is none too easy to make out visually. 



On open plains concealing coloration drops almost to 

 zero in its importance relative to other reasons for color- 

 ation. In certain slants of light and mirage from noon 

 heat a zebra or a herd of zebra, some of the gazelles, harte- 

 beestes, or topi will shimmer at extreme distances into white 

 alkali-looking streaks or queer, dancing patches; while 

 wildebeeste will hold their solid character. This difference 

 of effect is imdoubtedly due to difference of coloration. 



