146 THE GAME OF BRITISH EAST AFRICA. 



will seldom be any difficulty experienced afterwards, for the spoor of the female is 

 almost always much smaller than that of the male, and in most cases is much 

 narrower. With elephant the spoor of the cow is, as a rule, smaller and more oval 

 in shape. In any case its size is an index, and if only spoors of eighteen inches 

 and over are followed there will be no danger of pursuing females in error. 



With an eland the spoor of the female is, as before stated, more pointed than 

 that of the male. With kudu it is shorter and smaller. With sable it is smaller. 



The track of a hind foot can usually be told from that of a fore foot because 

 of its being longer and narrower. This holds good with most animals, including 

 both the dog and cat classes. 



With antelope and buck the hind foot is often smaller altogether than the 

 fore foot, and, in addition to this, narrower in proportion. 



As to paces, both the antelope and buck have much the same paces as those of 

 a horse ; that is to say, the spoors of the near feet are in pairs, and the spoors of the 

 off feet in pairs, the hind treading a little in front of the fore when the animal 

 is walking. When trotting, the spoors of the hind feet overlap those of the fore, 

 and the stride is much longer. 



Cats usually put the hind feet down in exactly the same place as the fore feet, 

 and it is this which makes them so sure-footed and noiseless, as they have only 

 to choose good spots on which to place the fore feet, and the hind follow them 

 naturally. 



