NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



blood is then eagerly lapped up, and a portion of 

 the tenderest of the flesh is eaten. The rest is 

 abandoned, and, as a rule, the hunter does not 

 return to it, knowing probably it would be of little 

 use to do so, for the many other carnivorous 

 denizens of the bush-veld soon smell it out and 

 devour it. 



Some years ago I fenced in some acres on an 

 estate in Natal, and let loose two score of rabbits. 

 At first they bred rapidly, but the muishonds 

 found them out and, climbing over and digging 

 under the wire netting at night, they soon destroyed 

 them all. One of these rabbits was very tame, 

 and on the least alarm bolted off to my residence 

 and sought refuge under my bed. One bright 

 moonlight evening I was sitting on the stoep and 

 observed a dark form bounding down the avenue. 

 It turned out to be my tame rabbit, which in its 

 terror did not notice me, but vanished indoors. 

 Presently I saw in the moonlight a dark form, with 

 nose to the ground and tail elevated, following the 

 trail of the rabbit at a slow trot, and so intent was 

 it on its pursuit of its intended victim that it did 

 not observe me, and was about to pass through 

 the open doorway when I sprang up. With a 

 succession of fierce yells it instantly faced me. 

 I as rapidly retired out of range of its peculiar 

 but effective mode of defence, which is one of the 

 most evil-smelling substances imaginable. It is 

 a fluid, yellow in colour, secreted by certain anal 

 166 



