With Flashlight and Ritic ^♦^ 



choice of a refuge is the arrival ot parasites, especially 

 the Oestriden of the genus Coholldia. which annoy anti 

 tease him exceedingly, and to be rid of which he retires 

 helplessly into the jungle. 



The blacks say that when the elephant tliscovers a 

 man-track he tests it with his trunk, even if it be hours 

 old, and then for safety's sake takes himself miles away 

 from his momentary resting-place. This does not seem 

 improbable when one considers the habit these animals 

 have of taking up earth and sand with their trunk. I 

 have not been able to prove this statement tor myselt, 

 l)ut know it to be true that the slightest suspicion causes 

 them to seek safety in flight. 



I remember once getting a bird's-eye view of a whole 

 herd suddenlv takino- to tliorht as the leading cow reached 

 a track which had been trodden by myself and some 

 blacks two days earlier. 



The extraordinary skill with which elei)hants draw 

 conclusions from unfortunate experiences has been 

 known for a long while. Even the cleverest trainer 

 could not succeed in making an elephant moLint again 

 on a stage of which he had once broken through the 

 boards. In the same way a wild elephant avoids tor a 

 lifetime a place* where he has discovered a pit-hole. 



It appears that in the Masai iiighlands several small 

 herds are in the habit of grouping ihcMUsclves together 

 in larger ones about the month oi" Octobt-r. Ikit everv 

 herd keeps independent. 



At this time, too. the herds which arc composed ot 

 middle-aged bulls join these bands. I'he larger herds 



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