CREATURES OF THE WILDERNESS 171 



lands. Where hyenas feed, there also gather 

 the vultures. I have seen them come round 

 a carcase in the most astonishing fashion, 

 dropping out of the blue sky in a few minutes, 

 though there was no sign of one before. 

 Either the eyesight of these scavenging birds 

 must be something quite beyond our concep- 

 tion, or else they are gifted with some sixth 

 sense of which we know nothing. The fact 

 remains that unless a newly killed animal is 

 instantly and effectually concealed under 

 branches, the vultures are certain to mark it 

 for their own long before it is cold. 



THE AFRICAN ELEPHANT 



In considering the appearance and habits 

 of the African elephant, it will not be possible 

 to treat the subject at the same length or from 

 the same point of view as in the case of its 

 Indian cousin, for, unfortunately, our attitude 

 in respect of the two is quite different. The 

 Indian elephant has long been the faithful ser- 

 vant of man, and, from close association with 

 its mahout^ much of its life is an open book. 

 In consequence, there are numerous interesting 

 and authentic stories of its memory and saga- 

 city, such as those related on an earlier page 

 by Sir William Lee-Warner. The African 

 elephant does not come before our eyes in the 

 same intimate fashion. It has, unhappily, 



