262 HOOFED ANIMALS 



its capture without trying to avoid injury to the animal, 

 as is generally the case in Asia. Pitfalls are placed by the 

 natives in the vicinity of Elephant drinking-places, artfully 

 concealed by herbage and sprinkled with dung to give a 

 natural effect. As soon as one animal crashes into a pit 

 the rest of the herd will usually stampede, and, shaken out 

 of their caution, other Elephants speedily meet with a 

 similar fate. The pits narrow towards the bottom, and the 

 more the huge creature struggles, the tighter it becomes 

 wedged in the hole, to which the hunter comes and 

 despatches his victim with ease. 



The Hamrans, an Abyssinian tribe, stealthily follow the 

 tracks of an animal until they find it asleep, or listless, as it 

 usually is about mid-day. Creeping up to their quarry, they 

 sever its trunk with one blow of a sword, and then wait 

 until the creature sinks from loss of blood before finally 

 despatching it. Sometimes the animal is rendered helpless 

 by a cut at the sinews of the hind leg, which prevents it 

 seeking safety in flight, and makes it an easy matter to 

 inflict further wounds upon it. 



Tracking the Elephant by its spoor is not a difficult 

 operation in open country or even in a well-forested region ; 

 but when it frequents tracts of dense grass and reeds that 

 reach above the animal's back, the hunter would find it less 

 easy to locate the quarry. Unfortunately for the Elephant, 

 it is usually accompanied by white egrets, which feed upon 

 the ticks and other insects that infest the vast expanse of 

 hide. And even in the densest grass or brake the presence 

 of Elephants is indicated by the birds fluttering and hover- 

 ing over their huge friends. 



Shooting is the method adopted by white sportsmen ; but 

 even with the most approved weapons the chase of the 

 Elephant is often accompanied by hairbreadth escapes. 

 The greatest nerve and accuracy are required by the hunter, 

 for if a shot is ineffective the wounded animal will charge 

 down upon him with ferocious impetuosity. To be able to 

 reach the brain it is necessary to be acquainted with the 

 anatomy of the Elephant's skull, for, saving such points as 

 the temple at right angles or behind the ear, there is no 

 certainty. A bullet will often pierce the forehead of the 



