414 AFRICAN GAME ANIMALS 



although it was too slight to offer much basis for judgment 

 by itself. Our party killed about a score of lions, a dozen buf- 

 faloes, a dozen elephants, a score of rhinos, and half a dozen 

 leopards. The leopards were the pluckiest and most sav- 

 age of the lot, although, because of their small size, less for- 

 midable to life than the other game. It happened that no 

 buffalo charged us, whereas several lions charged with great 

 determination, and two or three of the elephants charged 

 without being molested. Most of the difference was un- 

 doubtedly due to chance or individual variation. Yet we 

 cannot believe that lions would have failed to charge if 

 placed as some of the buffaloes were, although the latter did 

 not charge. The first buffaloes we attacked were four bulls 

 grazing outside a papyrus swamp. On our firing at them 

 they ran, not into the swamp, but into the open. At two 

 or three hundred yards they halted. One then fell dead; 

 two others had been wounded. Yet on our walking toward 

 them as they stood facing us — black, ugly, formidable- 

 looking — they lost heart and again ran. All four were killed 

 without charging. Under similar circumstances it is hard to 

 believe that a lion would not have charged ; again and again 

 we saw lions turn to bay and charge on less provocation. 



Key to the Races of caffer 



Horns curving downward from the base well below the level of the floor 

 of the skull; horns long and massive, greatest spread 

 40 inches or more; basal palm of horn very wide 



radcliffei 



Horns only curving down from the base to the level of the floor of the 

 skull; horns shorter and narrower across the base, 

 greatest spread considerably less than 40 inches; 

 width of palm at base less than 10 inches 



(zquinoctialis 



