xxiv AFRICAN NATURE NOTES 



to the running powers of wild dogs Curious incidents Chasing wild 

 dogs with tame ones One wild dog galloped over and shot Two 

 others caught and worried by tame dogs Wild dog shamming dead 

 Clever escape Chctahs overtaken on horseback Three chetahs 

 seen Two females passed Male galloped down A second chetah 

 overtaken Great speed of trained Indian chetahs Three chetah cubs 

 found Brought up by bitch ..... Pages 119-129 



CHAPTER VIII 



EXTINCTION AND DIMINUTION OK GAME IN SOUTH AFRICA 

 NOTES ON THE CAPE BUFFALO 



Extinction of the blaauwbok and the true quagga Threatened extermination 

 of the black and white rhinoceros and the buffalo in South Africa 

 Former abundance of game Scene in the valley of Dett witnessed by 

 the author in 1873 Buffaloes protected by the Cape Government 

 But few survivors in other parts of South Africa Abundance of 

 buffaloes in former times Extent of their range Still plentiful in 

 places up to 1896 The terrible epidemic of rinderpest Character of 

 the African buffalo A matter of individual experience Comparison of 

 buffalo with the lion and elephant Danger of following wounded 

 buffaloes into thick cover Personal experiences Well-known sports- 

 man killed by a buffalo Usual action of buffaloes when wounded 

 Difficult to stop when actually charging The moaning bellow of a 

 dying buffalo Probable reasons for some apparently unprovoked 

 attacks by buffaloes Speed of buffaloes Colour, texture, and abund- 

 ance of coat at different ages Abundance of buffaloes along the Chobi 

 river Demeanour of old buffalo bulls "God's cattle" Elephants 

 waiting for a herd of buffaloes to leave a pool of water before themselves 

 coming down to drink ....... 130-148 



CHAPTER IX 



NOTES ON THE TSF.-TSE FLY 



Connection between buffaloes and tse-tse flies Sir Alfred Sharpe's views 

 Buffaloes and tse-tse flies both once abundant in the valley of the 

 Limpopo and many other districts south of the Zambesi, in which 

 both have now become extinct Permanence of all kinds of game other 

 than buffaloes in districts from which the tse-tse fly has disappeared 

 Experience of Mr. Percy Reid Sudden increase of tse-tse flies between 

 Leshuma and Kazungula during 1 888 Disappearance of the tse-tse fly 

 from the country to the north of Lake N "garni after the extermination 

 of the buffalo- History of the country between the Gwai and Daka 

 rivers And of the country between the Chobi and the Zambesi 

 Climatic and other conditions necessary to the existence of the tse- 

 tse fly Never found at a high altitude above the sea Nor on open 

 plains or in large reed beds " Fly" areas usually but not always well 

 defined Tse-tse flies most numerous in hot weather Bite of the tse- 

 tse fly fatal to all domestic animals, except native goats and perhaps 



