ELEPHANTS AND THE SCENT OF MAN. I 1 3 



in their domain, and how quickly they move away 

 from the dangerous neighbourhood on discovering it. " * 



It is probable that this intelligence is mainly acquired 

 by the different herds when crossing the trail of the 

 dreaded stranger, whose scent still clings to his path 

 long after he has passed on out of sight. Mr. Selous, 

 one of the most modern of professional elephant hunters 

 who has written upon this subject, thus describes the 

 conduct of some elephants which he saw come up to 

 and examine his own trail, over which he had but 

 recently passed 



" I saw (he says) a string of elephants walking along in 

 single file not more than a quarter of a mile off as the 

 foremost, a large cow came upon our track, we emerged 

 from the bush not 200 yards away. The keen-scented brute 

 did not cross our spoor, but stopped dead the instant her 

 outstretched trunk had caught the taint left by our footsteps. 

 In this position she stood for a few seconds, moving her 

 trunk about close to the ground and then wheeling round 

 made off at a run, followed by the rest. From this incident, 

 which I myself witnessed, some idea may be formed of the 

 keenness of scent possessed by the African elephant." f 



We quote this paragraph with much pleasure as an 

 excellent illustration of the way in which the presence 

 of man is detected by game, and the extraordinary 

 dread which it inspires. Dr. Livingstone, the great 

 African traveller and explorer, has not failed to notice 

 this universal terror which the odour of man spreads 

 among the beasts of the wilderness, and has called 

 attention to it in several passages throughout his works, 



* Five Years of a Htmter's Life in the Far Interior of South Africa, 

 by Roualeyn Gordon Gumming of Altyre, 2nd Edit., 1850, Vol. i, p. 311. 



\ A Hunter's Wanderings in South Africa, by Frederick Courtenay 

 Selous, 1 88 r, p. 43. 



VOL. III. 8 



