WATERHOLE THRILLS 8i 



precipitous flight to broaden out into pools where 

 water lilies floated, butterflies seemed to hang sus- 

 pended, and innumerable little orange gold finches 

 sang. Finally they increased in number until they 

 formed a real little river, only to plunge again over 

 rose-red and violet rocks into still larger water 

 falls. 



I shall never forget the moonlit night we spent 

 there at the Wistonia hole; just Osa and I, in our 

 blind. About ten o'clock two full-grown rhinos 

 came down and drank for fifteen minutes without 

 stopping. These animals certainly have large tanks 

 in their insides, for they drink without once pausing 

 and the noise they make dtuing the operation is like 

 that of a Chinaman eating soup. This pair got 

 through drinking, turned and went away as if they 

 had important business elsewhere. 



Not ten minutes later a big rhino came down all 

 alone for a drink. He consumed gallons and gallons 

 of water and then, like the earlier ones, briskly de- 

 parted. About midnight I was asleep, when Osa 

 gently awakened me. I heard a scraping of feet and 

 stones falling on the trail. A moment later buffalo 

 came into view. They poured down by the score, 

 crowding about, sniffing the air and advancing to the 

 water so closely packed that they pushed one another 

 into it. Altogether there were over two himdred 

 drinking there at one time and the noisy quenching of 



