THE COLORATION OF LARGE ANIMALS 
To the more observant class of sportsmen the stay-at-home 
naturalist is, of necessity, indebted for most of his infor- 
mation with regard to the habits of large animals and 
their adaptation to their inanimate environment. And it 
must be acknowledged that, in the main, he has but little 
cause of complaint as to the accuracy, fulness, and abund- 
ance of the information thus supplied. One subject, and 
that a very interesting and important one, in connection 
with large animals in the field, seems, however, to have 
attracted but a small share of attention on the part of 
sportsmen and travellers, although it is obvious that what- 
ever theories and conclusions the naturalist may draw 
from the study of museum specimens must be put to the 
test by observations in the field before they can be regarded 
as of any definite and established value. I refer to the 
connection between the different types of coloration of the 
larger animals and their natural surroundings. Apart 
from casual remarks with regard to the harmony existing 
between the dappled coloration of a South African giraffe 
and the splashes of light and shade in the mimosa groves 
it inhabits, the resemblance presented by a tiger’s stripes 
to the dead grass of the surrounding jungle, and such-like, 
I can recall scarcely a single observation recorded by 
sportsmen or travellers which is of any real scientific value 
in connection with the subject in question. One important 
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