THE TANKS AND TANK SHOOTING 



under a sandbank, quite 100 yards from the water. 

 Needless to say we slew it. They usually run about 7 

 to 10 feet in length in the tanks, but I have seen many 

 which must have been very much larger. I always won- 

 dered how they captured fish, as they are not particularly 

 swift movers, but I once saw an occurrence which seemed to 

 solve the problem. Garrick and I were at the time on a 

 trip in the Northern Province, and were lying on the bund 

 of a small remote tank waiting for anything to turn up. 

 There was a puddle of dirty water in the tank about 

 200 yards long by 50 or 60 yards wide, and towards the 

 farther side were lying, in shallow water, two large croco- 

 diles side by side about 10 yards apart, both facing us. 

 There they lay without moving, heads just out of the 

 water, for a full hour, when suddenly we both saw one of 

 them throw up its head, holding a fine fish between its 

 jaws, head hanging down at one side, tail at the other, and 

 which could hardly have been less than 2 feet in total 

 length, weighing probably 3 or 4 Ibs. After holding it 

 thus for a few moments the head was lowered again and 

 the fish eaten. I can only suppose that the crocodiles lie 

 with mouth open under the water until some unsuspecting 

 fish swims between the jaws a comfortable, easy method of 

 getting a meal ! Crocodiles are abominable reptiles, and 

 should be shot on every available opportunity. Apart from 

 the sport to be had, a tank, or wila, to a naturalist would 

 prove a " thing of beauty and joy for ever," and it would 

 take him a long time to collect all the " specimens" therein 

 to be found. A few days spent among the tanks and wilas 

 would amply repay any man fond of bird shooting, and the 

 best time for such a visit would be in January or February, 

 when there is the maximum of water in both tanks and 

 swamps, and the weather is fine, but not too hot. 



65 E 



