3 i8 THE LAND OF THE LION 



The shy and pretty Colobus monkey, has chosen the 

 canon for his special haunt and home. There he is to 

 be seen in the early morning, sitting on some topmost 

 branch of juniper, taking a sunbath, drying his silky coat 

 of white and black and his long snowy tail, after the night- 

 dew bath. Be merciful to him, take one specimen or 

 at most two, and shoot him not till you have a sure chance, 

 and are certain that he cannot escape wounded among 

 the thick trees. His aquiline nose gives to his black face 

 a rather unpleasant human look, and I felt guilty when I 

 had shot mine. 



The rhinoceros is one of the stupidest and perhaps 

 from that very cause one of the most dangerous beasts in 

 British East Africa. He cannot distinguish a man from 

 a tree stump at forty yards. His hearing, however, is 

 very good indeed, and he detects at once the lightest foot- 

 fall. The earth seems to act as a conductor of sound 

 to some animals more than to others. I have often noticed 

 rhino show signs of uneasiness as I was trying to get near 

 enough for a photograph, when it was quite impossible 

 for them to have heard my tread. They would rise from 

 their shaded resting-place, face in every direction, sniff 

 the breeze and, as I stood quite still, lie down again. On 

 resuming my approach the same restlessness would be 

 shown. 



They will often trot up toward the long sefari march- 

 ing line, stamp and snort a little, and then walk off, gen- 

 erally taking a long circle, so as to get the wind of the 

 moving human snake that slowly crawls by them. In 

 this way they would cut across the head or tail of a column 

 of porters, creating sudden consternation, and some- 

 times doing damage. When once they have confirmed 

 their suspicions by a strong sniff of the tainted air, they 

 will either rush away at a rapid trot, which they are apt 

 to keep up for several miles, or, if viciously disposed, 



