354 THE REDISCOVERED COUNTRY 



they occupy such a diversity of country, and appear in 

 succession against such a variety of backgrounds that it is 

 extremely unlikely that the colour pattern of any one of 

 them can be considered as imitating any one environment. 

 Zebra stripes do resemble reeds; they do not in the least 

 resemble open sky, distant hills, high grass, thorn scrub, 

 or tree trunks. I have seen thousands upon thousands of 

 zebra against the latter backgrounds. / have never seen one, 

 either at drinking holes or elsewhere, among reeds. 



As a matter of personal belief I do not think that imi- 

 tative patterns exist in the larger animals. I grant you 

 may trace very interesting analogies between some of these 

 patterns and something in nature. You can do that in 

 thunder clouds. The nearest approach to anything of the 

 sort is in the case of dull ripe-grass-coloured beasts. They 

 are of a neutral tint because most of nature is in a neutral 

 tone. To that extent they are concealingly coloured. 



That covers the five points of conceaHng coloration 

 theory as we studied it in the field. Let us now venture 

 for a moment into the realm of pure speculation. There 

 every man's right of denial or doubt is the equal of every 

 other man's. If you do not like my ideas it is your privi- 

 lege to reject them; and I assure you I shall accept their 

 rejection good-naturedly. Only it seems to me only fair 

 that you should not use that privilege unless you can sub- 

 stitute in their place something you consider better. 



Nature loves at once economy and variety. She loves 

 economy; and therefore creates an organ, a creature, or a 

 process to fulfill some major function in the life of the 

 world, and immediately sets to work her ingenuity to adapt 



