210 MR. A. A. LANE 



hounds and preserved these small buck as far as possible 

 on the adjacent town lands. As usually results where 

 genuine and experienced sportsmen combine for the pur- 

 pose, the protection thus afforded gave excellent results 

 during tlie few seasons while it lasted ; especially as 

 owing to the poor scent-retaining nature of Potchefstroom 

 pot clay, the '' smell dogs ", as these fox hounds were nick- 

 named, seldom had much chance of getting on even terms 

 with duiker, which were the usual quarry, unless, as rare- 

 ly happened, they ran up wind; and thus duiker became 

 fairly numerous quite close to the cantonments. Steen- 

 bok and hares are, however, frequently pulled down by a 

 few fast greyhounds, and natives' lurchers account for 

 many ; but, although a run with *' long dogs " affords 

 a much more exciting gallop for the mounted followers, 

 British sporting instincts only permitted it to be 

 occasionally indulged in, so as to prevent wanton 

 destruction of the smaller quarry Avhich were none too 

 numerous. , 



Besides the ordinary hares, the " spring-hare " is 

 generally distributed, and, rarely issuing from its burrow 

 except at night, is likely to maintain its continuance. 

 The jackal, which was always sought by the hunt, was 

 seldom encountered, though a certain number still breed 

 amongst the more remote kopjes of the district. Strange 

 to say. I nearly rode over one, one afternoon, just beyond 

 the cantonments, a few weeks after tlie hounds had been 

 disposed of in 11)10. All I have seen in the district 

 appeared to be the saddle-backed variety. The small 

 hyena-like 'Mnanhaar" jackal I have not met below the 

 bushveld district further north, but it may extend 

 further soutli. Although I have come across burrows 

 wliicli indicated the existence of the " aard-wark '' at a 

 recent date, I only saw one specimen captured in the 

 district, where Miey must now be rare. It seems a pity 

 that such a curious and interesting animal, which is 

 probably very harmless, should be so ruthlessly exter 



