568 
AFRICAN GAME ANIMALS 
spicuous to permit it to escape being seen. If in thick grass 
it cannot be seen because of the physical screen of the cover. 
If in bush, or lying where there is shifting light and shadow, 
even from thin little trees, it may be difficult to make out, 
because under such circumstances, the play of shade and 
sunlight, the varying vistas, the interposed twiggery and 
patches of leafage, and the many different contours and color 
values tend to make it difficult for the eye to pick out any 
motionless object of any color. Moreover, absolute immo¬ 
bility will often render any object, of no matter what color 
or shape, likely to escape hasty notice. But, after making 
all allowances, it seems certain that on the whole the color¬ 
ation of the little steinbok is revealing; and its habits are 
such that concealing coloration would certainly be a benefit 
to it; and yet it is common, and it persists in the land much 
longer than most antelopes after man appears. Evidently 
the other qualities which have helped it in the struggle for 
life have so far outweighed the matter of coloration that it 
has been unaffected by the latter, or so little affected that 
the coloration has never become concealing. 
The Masai steinbok is distinguishable from the typical 
race from South Africa with difficulty. The general color¬ 
ation is somewhat darker and the white areas about the 
eyes and muzzle are more extensive. Specimens from the 
Zambesi River which we have compared are scarcely distin¬ 
guishable by coloration or size from British East African 
specimens. The presence of a dark crescent on the crown 
between the ears in the typical race is sometimes given as 
a character, but this dark patch is quite variable and is 
present in half the specimens from East Africa examined, 
irrespective of locality or sex. 
The color of the upper parts is bright sorrel or vinaceous- 
tawny. The hair is everywhere minutely speckled with white, 
