206 BIG GAME SHOOTING 
cropped of their branches and twigs ; bushes that have been . 
torn up have been devoid of leaves, and their stems well 
chewed ; the upper part of the wisps of grass have been missing, 
and the branches of large trees and the trees themselves have 
been stripped of their bark, which was left lying about in all 
directions after being chewed, &c. When in Uganda I once 
had an opportunity of watching a grand old bull elephant 
amusing himself. He was one of a large herd which I had no ~ 
difficulty in getting within 150 yards of, but which I could not | 
approach nearer, as they were standing quite out in the open. — 
As I sat on the top of an ant-heap waiting for them to get into 
a better position, I watched this bull through my binoculars 
for about twenty minutes trying to destroy another ant-heap — 
for no apparent cause, as he did not pick up the earth to dust — 
himself, but simply dug his tusks into the heap, and with a — 
sideways movement of the head sent the clods of earth flying — 
away on each side of him. Had he thrown the earth upwards 4 
on to his back, or picked it up with his trunk to give himself — 
a sand-bath, there would have been nothing strange about his ~ 
proceedings. When the herd moved off, I went up to the — 
ant-heap and found that the bull had knocked it about ina © 
manner almost incredible even for such a huge and powerful — 
beast. There can be little doubt that a great deal of the up- 7 
rooted long grass which is found where elephants have stood 7 
is torn up simply for the purpose of dusting themselves, as I . 
have twice had an excellent opportunity of watching them, — 
On one occasion I got within 100 yards of five elephants” 
standing in long grass in a hollow, and watched them for some — 
time from the top of a rock whilst they had a dust-bath. This © 
they did by simply twisting their trunks round wisps of grass, 
which they pulled up by the roots and threw up into the air 
over their backs. The weight of the earth in the roots caused” 
these wisps of grass to descend roots downwards, and as they 
landed on the elephants’ backs, a good shower of dry curt 
sand, and dust was the result. 4 
_ Tracking in East Africa is rather an unusual method of 
