296 HUNTING FAVOURITES 



quently the interior forms a large chamber, fre- 

 quently made use of for a dwelling-place by the 

 natives. But, if man makes use of its lower portion 

 for a shelter, nearly all the birds of the air do the 

 same with its branches, and it appears that all live 

 at peace with the others in these commonwealths, 

 however contrary their natures may be. I am under 

 the impression that as this tree has such a vast cir- 

 cumference it cannot be ascended by the tree-snakes, 

 the enemy of all the feathered family ; and that, 

 therefore, on this safe and neutral ground family 

 quarrels or dislikes are temporarily laid aside. 



The meruley tree, which is also likely to be un- 

 known to the reader, seems to be a cross between a 

 green plum and a walnut or hickory, the leaf, stem, 

 and general characteristics having all the special 

 peculiarities of the latter, while the fruit is externally 

 like the greengage, but internally a nut. Its size is 

 about that of an ordinary ash, say thirty-six to forty 

 inches in circumference, so not too large for the 

 mammoth bull elephants to sway to and fro till the 

 sweet, acid fruit falls. It is well known that 

 elephants will travel very long distances to districts 

 where this tree abounds, at the season when the fruit 

 is ripe. Well do the Massara bush people know 

 this, and so make many of these gourmets pay their 

 lives for their gastronomic penchant. The next two 

 families of trees are common enough to be known to 

 all, but not so the euphorbias, which in every variety 



