1 1 2 ANIMALS IN FAMINE 



different species to impress their memory by suffering. 

 In the plains of India, and even more regularly in the 

 plains of Africa, the summer heats cause partial famine 

 to all herbivorous animals, and this condition is recurring 

 and constant. Brehm has described the cumulative 

 suffering of the animal world of the ' African steppe,' 

 mainly from famine, at the close of this regular period 

 of summer drought. We cannot suppose that in this 

 case the terror of starvation is wholly forgotten in the 

 brief time of plenty. The neglect to form any store, 

 or to reserve pastures in climates sufficiently temperate 

 to spare them from being burnt up with summer 

 heat, suggests the question whether these ' hand-to- 

 mouth' herbivorous animals rely on any natural re- 

 serves of food not obvious to us. This is a natural 

 device, exemplified by the Kaffir, who, when his mealies 

 fail, lives on roots and grubs, or by the insect and 

 vegetable-eating rook, which becomes carnivorous in a 

 drought. To some extent both deer and cattle do rely 

 on such reserves. When the grass is burnt up, trees 

 are still luxuriant, and it is to the woods that the 

 ruminant animals look as a reserve in famine. The 

 fact was recognised during the siege of Paris, when all 

 the trees of the boulevards and the parks were felled 

 late in September that the tens of thousands of cattle 

 might browse on the young shoots and leaves. It is 

 this habit of hungry cattle which makes the space 



