\Yith Flashlight and Rifle -* 



ot the moon comes out from behind the clouds, and there 

 resounds and reverberates throughout the marshy wilder- 

 ness a voice of which the Bible makes mention so 

 Brehm reminds us as one of the mightiest voices of 

 animals in days of old. '' And when Rehoboth lifts up 

 his voice. . . ." Yes, when Rehoboth lifts up his voice, 

 the whole world seems to tremble. The sound is so tre- 

 mendous that its effect the first time you hear it is startling 

 in the extreme. 



At long intervals the old bull hippopotamus thunders 

 out in this way over his kingdom, and the effect is 

 magical all the more so for the mournful aspect of the 

 landscape. It means that he is emerging Irom his trodden, 

 almost tunnelled paths and haunts, and betaking himself 

 to some spot up on the dry land to graze. 



Shortly before sunset yet another fascinating picture, 

 full of life, is offered to our gaze. Hundreds of thousands 

 of finch-like birds and weavers fly hot-haste to the 

 swam}) for their evening drink, before betaking themselves 

 for the night to the security of the papyrus-thickets. 

 Hither thev have hurried in wave-like thrones, rising and 



* o ' O 



falling, keeping a serpentine course along the level 

 of the papyrus looking indeed like some monstrous 

 serpent seen afar off in the twilight. A kind of mighty 

 humming noise accompanies their flight, so strong and 

 loud that the stranger is apt to be frightened by it at first. 

 It is extraordinary how exactly they keep to certain 

 distinct courses in their flight every evening. 



O J O 



On previous occasions I had been struck by the way 

 in which the individual birds kept together in their 



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