( Ixxxiv ) 



into the forest when I heard the squeal of an elephant on my 

 left. As I went cautiously along the comparatively clear 

 track I heard them coming nearer and nearer and crashing 

 through the bushes, and suddenly saw about 20 yards away 

 on my left front the white tusks of the leader gleaming in the 

 dark shade ! I soon made out his head — apparently coming 

 straight in my direction, so I ran back about 20 yards and got 

 behind a tree to watch. The leader was a fine male, and he 

 turned round and looked in my direction, with ears cocked 

 and trunk uplifted, and I wondered whether my butterfly net 

 would be strong enough to hold him if he charged ! I was 

 only about 50 yards away. However, he thought better of it, 

 and passed across the track into the thick forest again, with 

 the whole herd after him — about 20, females and youngsters 

 of all sizes, in full view — a thrilling sight, and one I shall never 

 forget. There was something rather mysterious about these 

 great silently-treading beasts vanishing again into the forest 

 from which they had as mysteriously emerged. For some 

 time afterwards I heard them crashing about, and an occa- 

 sional squeal. They are still in the neighbourhood, but I 

 haven't seen them again. 



" There are leopards about here, and I want much to see 

 one, but have had no luck. Their droppings are very attractive 

 to Charaxes in the forest. One day I was boo'd at by a large 

 party of Colohus, which collected in the tree-tops around the 

 cleared space where I was. All of a sudden they all together 

 started making a sort of roaring noise at me, and as there were 

 lots of them it was very striking and seemed to fill the forest. 

 No doubt it was a collective expression of hate ! I one day 

 came across a beautiful Puff Adder (I think Bitis gahonica) 

 curled up on the track, and the beast simply would not get out 

 of my way until I pushed it vigorously with a stick. I have a 

 rooted dislike to killing anything unnecessarily. I did kill 

 Puff Adders on Tavu Island, for they were rather commoner 

 than I liked there, and, as I visited it with my barefooted 

 boys walking, it was rather dangerous for them. Personally 

 I am not in the least afraid of snakes, for (except Puff Adders) 

 I have not yet met one which did not run away, and I see no 

 reason why a snake should waste valuable jjoison ! Well, this 



