"hunting" VEttSUS "SHOOTING." 8l 



kinds of country. Those grouped above are under their most general 

 habitats. 



Thus, an elephant is distinctly a forest animal, but it has at times been seen on 

 the plains. On such an occasion it might either be passing from one forest to 

 another, as these animals make periodical treks, or it might be going down for 

 grass, as they sometimes do. However, where the grass is short, as in most parts 

 of East Africa, it is the elephant's usual custom to graze by night. 



In some instances in the above lists it will be noticed that an animal is given 

 under two headings. In that case it may be that the animal wanders between the 

 two kinds of country, or it may be that a distinct type of the animal, apparently not 

 intermingling, is found in each of the two countries. With these latter it is probable 

 that they are taking the first step in the change necessary to become a variation of 

 species, and eventually a new species. 



To return to the consideration of trophies ; a grouping of the different heads 

 obtainable in each of these types of countries shows that nearly all the best are 

 found among the bush and forest animals. Although a greater number of heads 

 fall to the lot of the shooter, by far the most striking trophies are obtained by 

 the hunter. Even if these bush and forest animals were not more difficult to 

 obtain than the plain-dwellers, the former would, I think, take precedence for beauty 

 and massiveness. 



So far I have been talking of shooting and hunting almost solely with reference 

 to inoffensive antelope and buck. These may be more or less interesting according 

 to the difficulties in finding and shooting them. 



When one turns to dangerous game however, a new factor is added to the 

 procedure of hunting them. For with them, whether they are easy or difficult to 

 find and come up with, there is always the chance of their turning the tables 

 and hunting the hunter. Although the occasions on which they behave to 'all 

 intents and purposes like other game are more numerous, still the occasions on 

 which they do not are frequent enough to make the following of them exciting 

 work. 



There is often a tendency among people, who know little or nothing of the 

 hunting of dangerous game, to underestimate the hazards run by the hunter, 

 armed as he is with a long-range rifle of the greatest precision and accuracy 

 of mechanism. 



This under-estimation may be the outcome of sportsmen exaggerating the adven- 

 tures they have met with and surpassing the bounds of credibility, or, on the other 



hand, it may be the voicing of the ideas which occur to many beginners when they 



M 



