cii. XI] CHEETAH AND SERVAL 2S1 



Kermit also rode down and killed two cheetahs and a 

 serval, and got a bad tumble while chasing a jackal, his 

 horse turning a complete somersault througli a thorny 

 bush. This made seven cheetahs that he had killed— a 

 record unequalled for any other East African trip of tlie 

 same lengtii ; and the finding and galloping down of 

 these cheetahs — going at breakneck speed over any and 

 every kind of groimd, and then shooting them either 

 from foot or horseback — made one of the noteworthy 

 featm-es of our trip. One of these two cheetahs had 

 just killed a steinbuck. The serval was witli its mate, 

 and Kermit watched them for some time through his 

 glasses before following them. There was one curious 

 feature of tlieir conduct. (3ne of them was playing 

 about, now near the other, now leaving it ; and near by 

 was a bustard, which it several times pretended to stalk, 

 crawling toward it a few yards, and then standing up 

 and walking away. The bustard paid no heed to it ; 

 and, more singular still, two white-necked ravens lit 

 close to it, within a few yards on either side ; the serval 

 sitting erect between them, seemingly quite unconcerned 

 for a couple of minutes, and tlien strolling off' without 

 making any effort to molest them. I can give no 

 explanation of the incident ; it illustrates afresh the 

 need of ample and well-recorded observations by trust- 

 worthy field naturalists, who shall go into the wilderness 

 before tiie big game, the big birds, and the beasts of 

 prey vanisli. Those pages of the book of natin-e which 

 are best worth reading can best be read far from the 

 dwellings of civilized man ; and for their full interpreta- 

 tion we need the services, not of one man, but of many 

 men, who, in addition to the gift of accin*ate observation, 

 shall if possible possess the power fully, accurately, and 

 with vividness to write about what they have observed. 



