PREFACE 



The life-histories of African game mammals offer an 

 almost virgin field for investigation and study. The pres- 

 ent treatise is a faithful account of what we have ourselves 

 observed; it sets forth much of what is now known; but its 

 real value must lie in its being treated primarily as a sug- 

 gestion of what is still open for discovery in this vast field 

 of animal psychology and adjustment to environment. The 

 discovery of new species and races based upon the study of 

 preserved specimens of game animals, has already pro- 

 gressed very far; but the more attractive field which in- 

 cludes the habits of the game remains yet to a great extent 

 unexplored. This field is peculiarly open for investigation 

 to big-game hunters, and to all other men who go far afield 

 and obtain first-hand knowledge of the conditions under 

 which the game animals live. The closet naturalist, with 

 his technical knowledge of the structure of animals, can be 

 trusted to perform the work of classification to a mathe- 

 matical degree of precision; but we cannot obtain from him 

 a trustworthy account of the behavior of animals in their 

 natural environment, or learn from him the value to the 

 animals of the various structures or characteristics which 

 he has shown them to possess. Much knowledge regarding 

 the habits of game is acquired by the successful sportsman. 

 Yet it is often infinitesimal in quantity compared to what 



