52 THE GAME OF BRITISH EAST AFRICA. 



On the plains the chief food of the Hon consists of zebra and hartebeest, and 

 there is no animal but the lion which habitually preys upon these animals. Therefore, 

 to follow out the coloration theory, these two of all the plain animals should be 

 the most protectively coloured. Now, if the zebra is coloured to suit its habitat, 

 i.e., the plains, it is not likely that the hartebeest, whose colour is so different, is 

 likewise adapted to the surroundings, yet both are equally in need of protection. 



It is pleasant to be able to account for all the colours and combinations of 

 colours occurring in animal life by a few simple laws, such as those of protective 

 coloration and recognition marks. These laws by no means, however, explain all 

 the conditions of colour as seen by the eyes of the outdoor observer. In reality 

 it will probably be found eventually that such laws are much more complex 

 and intricate in their mode of operation. Personally, I think that many of the 

 combinations of colour which may puzzle us now are reflections and alterations of 

 or reversions to colours of bygone ancestors. We know from the fact that hybrid 

 foals are liable to run to stripes that the ancestors of horses and donkeys were 

 probably striped and possibly zebra-like animals. Much farther than this we cannot 

 go. We cannot conceive what were the exact colours of far-distant ancestors of 

 such ancestors. 



Till one knows the prototypes of any given animal for several geological ages, 

 their colours and markings and the conditions of life under which they lived, it seems 

 futile to try and lay down definite laws to account for their colours. At any rate, it 

 seems unsound to assume that these colours have been entirely brought about by 

 present prevailing conditions. For all that one knows to the contrary the zebra may 

 be coloured in the most perfect harmony with the prevailing conditions of some 

 fairly recent geological period, and these colours may have been of service to him 

 then. Since that time conditions may have altered considerably. His old enemies 

 may have died out or a radical change in his own habits of life taken place ; in spite 

 of which, his ancestral striping still holds good. With no vital influences at work to 

 cause him to change his scheme of coloration he may have remained much the same, 

 or reverted to a still older type, or have suffered but slight modifications. However, 

 it is hard to believe that the stripes of a zebra have ever been of any use to it for 

 protective purposes. The zebras and tapirs both come of the same ancient stock. 

 Although the tapir is now no longer striped its young bear this marking, and are very 

 striking-looking with their lateral stripes. There must have been some very strong 

 cause of light or climate or other reason, quite apart from protective purposes, to have 

 produced in these animals a tendency to become striped. This tendency has had its 

 outlet in producing stripes, vertical in the zebras and horizontal in the ancient tapirs. 



