NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



sense, the territory south of the Zambesi and Cunene 

 Rivers is termed South Africa ; and all animals, birds, 

 reptiles, insects and plants found south of those 

 rivers are catalogued as South African. 



Bruce's Dassie is common from the neighbourhood 

 of the Zambesi, north as far as Abyssinia. There 

 are other species in Africa, but as they occur north 

 of the Zambesi they do not concern us. The Tree 

 Dassie is unique, for the reason that it is the only 

 animal belonging to the hoofed or Ungulate Order 

 of animals which lives in trees. 



Its diet consists entirely of the vegetation of the 

 native forests, including the plants which grow upon 

 the ground, for the Tree Dassie, although it sub- 

 sists largely on the leaves and tender shoots of the 

 trees, freely descends to the ground in search of food, 

 but will never venture far from the bush, into which 

 it instantly runs on the slightest sign of danger. 

 On moonlight nights the Tree Dassie ventures forth, 

 and at these times, and during the early morning, 

 their squalling cries, which begin with a clucking 

 sort of noise, can frequently be heard. 



Lying upon the ground under a dense bush in a 

 forest in Natal, I was peacefully sleeping, wrapped 

 in a waterproof blanket, when the stillness was 

 broken by a noise overhead. I opened my eyes and 

 beheld two dark forms scuttling about among the 

 branches, one of which was evidently chasing the 

 other with evil intent, for on overtaking it a scuffle 

 ensued. Losing their balance they fell, and on 



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