282 AFRICAN GAME TRAILS 



underbrush crowded the space between their mossy trunk . 

 and covered the leafy mould beneath. Toward dusk crestea 

 ibis flew overhead with harsh clamor, to seek their night 

 roosts; parrots chattered, and a curiously home-like touch 

 was given by the presence of a thrush in color and shape al- 

 most exactly like our robin. Monkeys called in the depths 



Kikuyu village near first elephant camp 

 From a photograph by Edmund Heller 



of the forest, and after dark tree-frogs piped and croaked, 

 and the tree hyraxes uttered their wailing cries. 



Elephants dwelt permanently in this mountainous re- 

 gion of heavy woodland. On our march thither we had 

 already seen their traces in the "shambas," as the culti- 

 vated fields of the natives are termed; for the great beasts 

 are fond of raiding the crops at night, and their inroads 

 often do serious damage. In this neighborhood their habit 

 is to live high up in the mountains, in the bamboos, while 

 the weather is dry; the cows and calves keeping closer to the 

 bamboos than the bulls. A spell of wet weather, such as 

 we had fortunately been having, drives them down in the 

 dense forest which covers the lower slopes. Here they 



