With Flashlight and Rifle ^ 



or six young calves of the most varied sizes. I am 

 inclined to believe, in common with the natives, that the 

 younger beasts are all brothers and sisters, and ofts[)ring 

 of the old females, and, I believe also, that a female 

 elephant under favourable circumstances is capable of 

 conceiving every six or seven years. 



Although one very seldom fmds ticks in their skins, 

 elephants are greatly given to rolling themselves in the 

 mire, bestrewing themselves with sand and earth, and 

 rubbing their skin r.gainst trees, the so-called "sign- 

 post " trees. From this caus(.', like rhinoceroses, they 

 are often variously coloured, according to the colour of 

 the earth of the locality. In the highland woods, through 

 which they wander nightly, one finds hundreds of trees 

 against which they have rubbed their bodies. Such 

 rubbing-places indicate the size of the animals. On 

 lulv 23rd, IQ03, I found such a mark 15 ft. high. 

 Crooked trees are used by preference, so that the elephant 

 can lean against them slantino--wise and with rdl his weight. 

 If elephants come upon open places in the forest, or go 

 away into the plains, they make use of the same strong- 

 trees over and over again, until the l)ark is conn)letely 

 worn away. Many gigantic trees bear witness to the 

 fact of their having bt-en thus visited nightly during the 

 course of some hundrc-d years. 



The thirst for ixory has for many \ears been the 

 cause of the tV)rmation of armed iKM'des in German I^ast 

 Africa. These hordes (Mthcr pursiu; the elephants with 

 powder and shot on their own account or are hired by 

 native agents. They often tra\-el through wide disiricts, 



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