Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1892-09-02
CURIOUS LAWS OF OPTICS.
The Zebra's Stripes Make 1t Vanish h,
Dny,


The Zebra's Stripes Make 1t Vanish n,
Day.
Almost every writer who treats OF
the colOrs OF animals refers to Gal
tons observations that in the bright
starlight OF an African night zebras
are practically invisible oven at
short distance; but there can be no
doubt that their peculiar striped ap-
pearance is also Of great protective
value In broad daylight says u cor
respondent OF London Nature On
recent zebra hunt near Cradock in
which l took part several members
OF our party commented on the dill.
Guilty OF seeing zebras oven at moder-
ate distances although there was moth
ing to hide them. the black and
white stripes blending so completely
that the animals assume dark brown
appearance quite in harmony with the
general color OF the locality In which
they are found. and in which for
instance Roof Rehbok (Peleacap-
reolata) is also we'll protected on ac.
count OF its peculiar brown.sh coat.
A member OF our party. who on an
other occasion gave proof that he is
possessed OF excellent eyesight and
who has frequently hunted in similar
Localities. saw a zebra which was
wounded In one OF the front legs at Il
distance OF about 400 yards. AMI
strange to say he mistook it for big
baboon. In IL letter which | recoiv.
ed from him few days ago he SAID
1T galloped like babooa from me.
and | could only see that the color was
grayish brown. At about 500 yards
from mo 1t ran to little krantz and
mounting the highest rock. drew its
body together just as baboon does
when its four feet are all together on
the summit OF little rock" His re-
mark as to the grayish brown color
OF the animal is the more valuable, as
l believe this gentle man, Mr.. Wrench.
A. r. NJ. OF Cra1ock. is quite unpreju-
diced. In my own letters to him.
which drew forth these remarks. had
only asked him for the distance at
which he saw the cobra and | did
not ask him how it was that he mistook
a black and white zebra for Il brown
baooon on perfectly clear South
African day.
My own observations also confirm
that the stripes of the zebra are of pro-
tective value. Riding along SLOPE
l suddenly saw four zebras within 100
yards above me. They were gallop-
Ing down the hill, but stopped
when they caught sight of me- AS
soon as they stopped l saw their
stripes pretty distinctly. After had
fired and wounded one OF them they
started on again. galloping down the
hill around me In u semi circle at a
distance OF about seventy Yards All
this time they presented dull brown
appearance. no stripes being visible,
although | had my attention fixed on
this point They disappeared beyond
a ridge went down little valley, and
| heard afterwarl they assembled the
next slope, which was not more than
l. 500 yards away from where l stood
with a native servant Yet even this
lynx-eyed native could not see them
going up this slope. They had van
ished from us.
Perhaps 1t may interest some of
ly plentiful on the rugged hills west
OF Cradock. A troop OF forty ona ami.
mails was seen on the very ground
over which we hunted short time
before we arrived. Our party saw
eleven in two days. but | believe
three were seen on two If not three
different occasions. This would re.
duce their number to eight il not five.
They are protected by government.
and also by farmers themselves. am
afraid that In spite Of that their DAYS
are numbered. They are said to be
very destructive to wire fences. and as
the enclosing OF farms with wire
fences is steadily on the increase in
this colony. many farmer will have,
though perhaps reluctantly and in de-
fiance of the law. to talso up his gun
and clear them OF his property.
There will then probably be an out.
cry by the people who know the diff
culties OF South African farming only
from books written by travellers who
hurry through South Africa in first
class railway carriage; but those who
really know South Africa well will
say that 1t Is n great great pity, but
it cannot DO helped unless tho govern
ment provides speedily an abode for
these and other animals threatened
with extinction. The first step in the
right direction would perhaps be the
establishment of government zoolo-
gical garden but hope others who
arc more competent than l will stir
the people OF Cape Colony up before
1t Is too late so that something more
than mere game laws may be done to
preserve them.