MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 277 



similar tameness among the fauna of the dense primeval forests of Centml 

 Africa, The earlier visitors to the virgin hunting-grounds of Africa, during 

 the first li.ilf of the last century, tell the same tale. Game that had not been 

 pursued by the natives of the country and in remote and uninhabited regions, 

 exhibited little fear of man. It is noteworthy that animals that are much 

 liunted soon become wild and difficult to approach, whilst those that are not 

 sought after, soon learn that they have rothing to fear from the aggressive 

 character of man. The African elephant has always been hunted, and Mr. 

 Selous tells us that " it will do everything in its power to avoid meeting a 

 human being." With regard to the bonte-quagga the same writer says — " They 

 are not naturally very wary, and in parts of the country where they have not 

 been much disturbed, and are therefore unsuspicious of danger, they are very 

 inquisitive. When hunting to the north of the Pungwi river in 1892, in a part 

 of the country where I suppose the BurchelFs zebras had never seen a man 

 with any clothes on, these animals often came to within 100 yards to 

 have a good look at me ; and on one occasion a large herd approached 

 within 50 yards, and after I had sat down on the side of an ant-keep, 

 stood staring at me for about half-an-hour, and only ran off when I got up and 

 walked towards them." He also relates how some of these animals fraternised 

 with his horses. Again, he tells us with regard to the African buffalo — " Where 

 they have never been hunted, buffaloes are unsuspicious of danger and easy to 

 approach against the wind. Old bulls, indeed, will often almost refuse to get 

 out of the way, but lie or stand gazing unconcernedly at the sight of a human 

 being, until he is within 50 yards of them, while possibly one or other of a 

 party of four or five will trot a few paces forward to get a better view." But 

 when much persecuted the same animals soon become wary, and will desert their 

 usual haunts in thick covert, and resort to open forests where they can obtain 

 a good view, but must suffer considerable discomfort from the heat of the sun. 

 Of the hippopotamus on the Umzingwani river, protected many years by 

 LoBengula and his father, we are told that they became very tame and confiding 

 and Mr. Selous says — '' Where hippopotamuses have never been fired at, they 

 are tame and even inquisitive. I once found a herd in a small rock-pool on the 

 lower Umf uli river, the members of which had probably never seen a man with 

 clothes on before, as they showed no fear whatever, but, as I sat on a rock on 

 the edge of the pool, came up within a few yards, and remained with their 

 heads in full view for a long time, staring stolidly at the unwonted sight. " 



In India it is more difficult to find unmolested animals. Here are no vast 

 plains teeming with animal life, no forests untrodden by man where the wild 

 beasts can wander in peace over trackless solitudes, such as those to be met with 

 on the Dark Continent, But the same general rule obtains here also ; that 

 animals but seldom molested are. comparatively tame, and soon become wild 

 and wary when much huhted. I have found antelope and gazelle in remoter 

 tracts, having but little fear of men, while elsewhere one cannot approach to 

 within several hundred yards of them, I have seen gaur apparently almost as 



