262 DROPPINGS AND LAIRS. 



side, if carefully turned over. When he is in doubt r 

 the traveller should dismount at important points, and 

 carefully study all these indications for himself, if he 

 desires to understand clearly the art of tracking and 

 trailing. These droppings however, if only one or two- 

 animals are being followed, may only be deposited at 

 wide intervals, the search thus often becomes tedious; 

 if however beds where game have passed the night, 

 are come upon, or lairs where they have rested for 

 any considerable time during the day, droppings will 

 generally be found in their neighbourhood, both liquid 

 and solid, as it is the habit of most graminivorous 

 animals at all events, to relieve themselves in this way 

 almost immediately after rising. We may see this 

 clearly at spots where domestic cattle have passed the 

 night, in fields at home. 



The local characteristics of climate, the nature of the 

 soil, and the whole of the circumstances prevalent in 

 the locality, should always be carefully viewed by the 

 hunter in forming his conclusions; for provided the 

 ground be dry, and not disturbed by wind or weather, 

 marks made upon it may remain unchanged for a 

 great length of time. We have seen for instance, 

 what we knew to be our own trail, made upon the 

 plain months previously, when we had passed that way 

 before, really almost as distinctly preserved as if it 

 was of quite recent date. 



The marks of the wheels of the carts, and even 

 impressions left by the horses' feet, remained pretty 

 nearly as clearly cut as those of the new one. The 

 explanation of this is probably to be found in the fact 

 of the ground having been soft at the time we first 

 passed, after recent rains, and the marks made upon 



