AT DAGGERS DRAWN 69 



siderable distances. And these emanations are most 

 noticeable in the males and at the breeding season. The 

 bull elephant, both in the Indian and African species, 

 during the breeding season produces a copious flow of 

 aromatic matter from a gland which opens above the 

 eye in the form of a tubular aperture large enough to 

 admit a pencil. This aperture in the African elephant is 

 remarkable for the fact that it is invariably found to be 

 " plugged " with numerous spines of the acacia, which 

 have from time to time found their way in as the animal 

 was forcing its way through the dense undergrowth. 

 This extraordinary fact was first noticed by Mr. F. C. 

 Selous, and has since been confirmed by Dr. Einar 

 Lonnberg. 



It is probable that the " bloody sweat," which at times 

 covers the hide of the Hippopotamus just after leaving 

 the water, is associated with the period of rut. This 

 mysterious exudation is accompanied by small crystals ; 

 but though red in colour, it contains no blood. So far 

 no reasonable explanation for this remarkable pheno- 

 menon has ever been given, but probably it will be found 

 to be associated with the sexual activities and is possibly 

 odoriferous. A precisely similar exudation occurs in 

 the neck of the male of the Red Kangaroo. ^ 



That these secretions play an important and perhaps 

 variable part in the selection of mates seems demonstrated 

 in the case of an incident related to me by my friend 

 Mr. John Cooke, who some time ago was watching a flock 

 of some three hundred sheep while it was being driven by 

 the shepherd and his dogs into a field. As soon as they 

 were securely shut in, and the shepherd had gone, three 

 rams who were included in the flock at once began a three- 

 cornered fight. One, presumably the youngest, was soon 



