54 ANIMAL LIFE IN AFRICA 



females are seen solely accompanied by their offspring, 

 or by such of them as have survived. 



The little ones are extraordinarily active almost from 

 birth, and I recollect riding after a sounder once when 

 the youngsters, under a week old, could move as fast as 

 a native could run, and, but for the horses, must have 



WARTHOG IN NET 



escaped. There were faint indications of dark transverse 

 stripes on some new-born animals which I once found, 

 though they gradually disappeared within a few days. 

 It is the only occasion on which I have ever noticed 

 anything of the sort, and the occurrence was so entirely 

 opposed to all previous ideas on the subject that I after- 

 wards took the opportunity to question a number of old 

 natives at different times and places regarding it. The 

 general impression conveyed by their answers was that 



