The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1892-08-12
cURIous LAWS OF OPTICS.

rae Zsbrl's stripes Make &C vanish By Day
Almost every writer who treats OF
the coIors of animals refers to GGltan'a
observations that in the bright starlight
sE an African night zebras are practi-
sally invisible even at "a short distances
but there can be no doubt that their
peculiar striped appearance is also OF
treat protective value in broad daylight
D q recent zebra hunt near Cradoclr,
10 which i took part. several mem bers
1F c1l1r marty commented on the dih-eul-
tv OF seeing zebras even at moderate
distances, although there was nothing
TO hide them, the black and white
stripes blending 50 completely that the
animals assum C a dull brown appear
lncs quite ia harmony with the general
color Of the locality In which they are
found, and in which, for instance, Roof
RehboIr (Pelsa capreolatn) IS also well
protected on account Of its peculiar
brownish coat
A member Of our party, who on
another occasion gave proof that ne IS
possessed of excellent eyesight, and
who has frequently hunted in similar
localities, saw zebra which was
wounded in one of the front legs at
distance Of about four hundred yards,
and strange to say he mistooz it for
big bsboou- In a letter which received
from hiln few days ago he said; ut
galloped like a baboon from me, and ]
could only see that the color was gray
lsh-broyvn. At about i've hundred
yards from mo it ran on 70 a little
lzrautz, and mounting the highest rock
drew its body together just as q baboou
does when its four feet are all together
on the summit OF a little rock" His
remark as TO the grayish-brown color
of the animal is the more valuable as
believe this gentleman, Mr.. Wrench, A
r. NJ, of Cradoclz, is quite uuprcju-
diced In my own letters to him, which
drew forth these remarks, had only
asked him for the distance at which he
saw the zebra, and / did not ask him
how it was that ne mistooiS a black and
white zebra for a brown bGbOOu on a
perfectly clear South African day.
My own observations also confirm
that the stripes on the zebra are Of pro
tective value. Riding along a slope /
suddenly saw four zebras within "a hum
dred yards above me. They were gal
Looping down the hill, but stopped when
they caught sight of me. As soon as
they stopped I saw their stripes pretty
distinctly. After I had fired and
wounded one of them, they started
again galloping down the hill round
me In O scmi-circle at a distance OF
about seventy yards. All this time
they presented n dull brown appear
auce, no stripes being visible, although
had my attent ton fixed on this point
They disappeared beyond "a ridge went
down a little valley, and / heard after
ward that they assembled the next slope,
which was not more that 1900 yards
away from where I stood with o native
servant Yet even this lynN-eyed uativ,
could not see them going up this slope.
They had vanished from us.
Perhaps it may interest some OF your
readers to learn that zebras are still
fairly plentiful on the rugged hills west
I OF Cradocll A troop of forty-ouc ami
mails was seen on the very ground over
which we hunted a short time before
we arrived. Our party saw eleven in
two days, but I believe three were seen
on two if not on three different Occa
T sious. This would reduce their number
| TO eight, If not to i've They are pro
/ tccted by government, and also by tho
/ farmers themselves, but I am afraid
/ that in spite of that their days are mum,
/ bered. They are said to be very de
/ Btructive to wire fences, and as the in
closing of farms with wire fences IL
! steadily on the increase in this colony
many farmer viii have, though per
! haps reluctantly and in defiance OF the
| law, to take up his gun and clear then
/ OH his property.
/ There viii then probably be an out
/ cry by people who know the diHiCul-ie'
! OF South African farming only IRON
] books written 10y travellers who hurry
. through South Africa in "a Hrst-class
I railway carriage; but those who really
] know South Africa well will say it is
| great great pity, but IL cannot b,
| helped unless government provides
! speedily an abode for these and Othel
animals threatened with extinction
This first step in the right direction
would perhaps be the establishment o
a government geological garden, but
hope others who are more competen'
than ! am will stir the people of Capi
Colony up before IL is too late, so tina
something more than mere game law
may be done to preserve theua--Nature