Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 4 (1900).djvu/577

Rh could become habitual without a suitable environment. I flushed a pair of Francolinus subtorquatus, one of which squatted in the same manner, but, by force of circumstances, among the short, black and charred remains of a grass fire. Here its colour stood out in bold relief, and I easily bagged it" (Zool. 1899, p. 545, note). I have on several occasions observed a similar behaviour on the part of this same bird in Mashonaland; and, indeed, the blackening of the veldt by grass fires not unfrequently gives one opportunities of realising that at least some protectively coloured animals have no mental appreciation whatever of the real relation between their own colouring and that of their environment.

There are few birds in this country which show a stronger apparent reliance on their protective colouring than the little Rufous-capped Lark (Tephrocorys cinerea) or the Cape Long-claw (Macronyx capensis); they will readily permit one to approach within a few yards of them, and will then merely run on ahead in their curious, crouching, rat-like manner. This action is certainly of considerable protective value in their ordinary surroundings, but they will do precisely the same on the open "burns," where it must be rather detrimental than otherwise. Did they really comprehend the contrast exhibited by their plumage in such spots, they would assuredly escape by flight instead of by running. Not long ago I noticed a similar case on the part of our common Side-striped Jackal (Canis lateralis). While travelling on a post-cart we passed a fire burning not far from the road, and strongly outlined against the burnt grass we saw the forms of two Jackals. They were a little distance apart, one sitting on its haunches, the other standing, and they were evidently watching for the rats, young birds, &c, which the fire would disturb. At our approach they merely looked round at us without concern, and so, without stopping the cart, one of my companions tried a shot with his rifle. The bullet whizzed close over the head of the standing animal, which promptly bounded into the long, unburnt grass; the other, however, which had only heard the report without feeling the shock of the bullet, merely crouched to the ground, when it was quite as conspicuous as before, and did not move until a second bullet knocked up the dust close by its side. I have further seen an identical instance of the misapplication of the protective crouching instinct on the part of the Aard Wolf (Proteles cristatus) in Natal; and, doubtless, such observations could be multiplied were special attention paid to them.

Anyone who has had many opportunities of observing animals must have been struck by the fact that even though they may possess a considerable amount of intelligence, this is curiously limited in many