Poachers and Poaching. 



nearest land. In Natal the farmers, rightly or 

 wrongly, believe that the locusts introduce in- 

 jurious seeds upon their grass-lands, and the 

 following would seem to show that their belief 

 is well founded. A Mr. Weale, who was of 

 their way of thinking, collected a packet of 

 dried pellets and sent them to England. When 

 closely examined under the microscope they re- 

 vealed a number of tiny seeds, from which plants 

 of seven kinds of grasses were ultimately raised. 



Among animals, those which have been longest 

 under the care of man have attained to the great- 

 est degree of perfection in all those qualities it 

 has been deemed wise to develop. With his 

 mind bent on utility, man has striven to improve 

 the staying and flying power of pigeons ; the 

 strength and swiftness of horses ; and has him- 

 self proved to be a marvellous instance of speed 

 and endurance. To observe the differences of 

 locomotion, both as regards structural contrivance 

 and speed among animals the term " animal " 

 being extended to every member, high or low, 

 within the province of the animal kingdom is 

 one of the most fascinating of out-door studies. 

 It is not an easy matter, however, to compute 

 the speed or mileage of quick-moving animals. 

 Among quadrupeds, the horse perhaps may be 

 considered the fleetest. " Hambletonian " co- 

 vered a space of four miles in eight minutes, 

 which is but thirty miles an hour, if it could be- 





