loo foiinial of Travel ami Natural History 



published in 1866, says (vol. i, p. 24), without any ([ualificatioii or 

 reservation, — 



" In the active land quadrupeds the shaft of the long bones of the limbs is 

 hollow. The strenj^h and lightness of the limb bones are thus increased, after 

 the well-known principle of the hollow column, which Galileo, by means of a 

 straw picked up from his prison floor, exemplified as an evidence of design, in 

 refutation of the charge of Atheism brought against him by the Intiuisition." 



But we see that, when the additional bulk requires it, the ordinary 

 type is departed from, and the hollow bones become solid. 



The notices of the birds are very meagre — the only ones which 

 seem to have particularly struck him are the vultures and the 

 francolin partridge, any notices of others being too brief for recogni- 

 tion. Apropos to the vultures, he discusses the vexed question 

 whether these birds discover the carcases on which they prey by 

 sight or smell. This is now well settled, but his observations are 

 interesting, not only as regards it, but as pointing out that these 

 birds probably occupy different heights in the air — strata of 

 vultures, as it were — and that it is their distance which regulates 

 the comparative priority of arrival of the different species. The 

 order in which they come is — i, the black and white crow; 2, 

 the common buzzard \ 3, the red-faced small vulture ; 4, the large 

 bare-throated vulture ; and, lastly, the Marabou stork and adjutant, 

 which, although not vultures nominatim, are in reality the greatest 

 vultures of them all. 



Of reptiles, the crocodile and tortoise (Trionyx ^gyptiacus), 

 which is so destructive to young crocodiles, are the only species he 

 mentions. Snakes must be very scarce, or we should have heard 

 of them. He gives some thrilling tales about the voracity and 

 boldness of the crocodile, which we are sorry that we have not 

 space to quote. His acquaintance with the Trionyx was made 

 through the medium of the fishing-rod, he having caught, but not 

 landed, a fellow 100 lb. in weight. 



His angling with fish was more successful : 



'* This afternoon, I took the rod, and having caught a beautiful silver-sided 

 fish, of about a pound weight,! placed it upon a large single hook fastened under the 

 back fin. In about an hour I had a run, but upon striking I pulled the bait out of the 

 fish's mouth, as the point of the hook had not touched the jaw. I had wound 

 up slowly for about thirty yards, hoping that the big fellow wouhl follow his 

 last prize, as I knew him to be a large fish by his attack iipon a bait of a pound 

 weight. I found my bait was killed, but having readjusted the hook 1 again 

 cast it in the same direction, and slowly played it towards nic. 1 had him! 

 lie look it immediately, and I detcrminctl to allow him to swallow it before I 



