GAME COMING DOWN TO DRINK. 135 



animals and birds will often travel long distances to 

 reach it ; and animals which inhabit this class of country 

 do not usually require water daily, but only resort 

 there when pressed by thirst, every second or third 

 day, according to circumstances. They then approach 

 the water only with the utmost caution, constantly 

 beset by the dread of meeting beasts of prey, and 

 usually choose the leeward side, so that they can detect 

 the presence of enemies near the water by their sense 

 of smell. While drinking, it is the invariable practice 

 of all the smaller and weaker animals to post sentinels 

 to give warning of the approach of danger; and as 

 soon as possible they get away from the dangerous 

 neighbourhood. 



These circumstances, as we have already mentioned 

 will account for the great quantity of tracks, which 

 are so frequently to be seen near watering places in 

 dry countries. 



With the exception of these troops of game, which 

 sometimes resort to springs etc., in dry regions, any- 

 thing like regular herds of game are uncommon in 

 heavy forests, where the animals are seldom of a 

 gregarious nature, but are usually met with either 

 singly or two or three together; small bands of half- 

 a-dozen may however occasionally be seen, but the 

 numerous troops which assemble upon the plains or 

 in the bush country, where patches of dwarf trees 

 alternate with stretches of open ground, are exceed- 

 ingly rare in great forests, and probably only occur 

 during migratory movements of game. 



Great herds of game do however occasionally assem- 

 ble; for instance the late Mr. George W. Sears, who 

 wrote under the nom de plume of " Nessmuk " in the 



