INTRODUCTION 9 



the animals which frequent a particular locality in 

 one month of a given year will be found in the 

 same locality in the same month during the entire 

 period of their lives. 



In this place I should like to acknowledge the un- 

 varying courtesy with which I was received by the 

 Sudanese officials. I was compelled to trespass very 

 frequently, not only upon their hospitality, which 

 was unlimited, but upon their time, which was some- 

 times very limited indeed. However, in every single 

 case I found them as anxious to promote my well- 

 being as if it had been their own personal concern. 

 Moreover, they were always ready to place their in- 

 formation of the distribution of game at my disposal, 

 a courtesy which is by no means invariably extended 

 to strangers in India. These officials are for the 

 most part officers of the British Army in the prime 

 of life, and it would be out of place were I to lavish 

 praise upon the manner in which their duties are 

 performed. At the same time, both as an Indian 

 official, who, after sixteen years in the executive line, 

 may lay some claim to special knowledge of touring 

 conditions, and as a sportsman who during the same 

 period has spent almost the whole of his leisure in 

 the pursuit of big game, I do hold most decidedly 

 that these young officers are at present called upon 

 to perform their duties under conditions which are 

 unnecessarily arduous. The Indian official is usually 



