-^ Camping out on the Velt 



these hens. (Hardly any of the many beautiful East 

 African species of francolins have so far been brought 

 alive to Europe.) Once I had for weeks the pleasure 

 of seeing some beautiful yellow-throated francolins 

 {Pternistes lezicosepus infuscatus, Cab.) running about 

 perfectly tame among the other animals in camp. 



I was often able to contemplate idyllic scenes among 

 my quaint collection of animals. The behaviour of my 

 baby rhinoceros interested me greatly. It was the pet 

 of my caravan, and I was very proud of having reared 

 it, for I had longed for two years for such a little 

 creature, and had made many vain attempts to obtain 

 one. Its friendship with two goats I have already 

 mentioned in my previous book. They formed a strange 

 trio. Very often the kid used the rhinoceros as a cushion, 

 and all three were inseparable. The beast and the two 

 goats often made little excursions out into the immediate 

 neighbourhood of my camp. At these times they were 

 carefully guarded by two of my most trustworthy people. 

 The "rhino" was provided with its accustomed vegetable 

 foods. When the little beast was in a good humour it 

 would play with me like a dog, and would scamper about 

 in the camp snorting in its own peculiar way. Such 

 merry games alternated with hours of anxiety, during 

 which I was obliged to give my foster-child food and 

 medicine with my own hands, and to fight the chigoes 

 i^Sar^copsylla penetrans, L.), commonly called "jiggers," those 

 horrible tormentors which Africa has received from 

 America. 



In the evening my flocks and herds of sheep, goats 



603 



