3346 The Zoologist — January, 1873. 



Almost in the following page we find an account of an evening 

 call, which terminated in a manner perfectly satisfactory to the 

 visited, and relieved the visitor from the necessity of complaining 

 of his reception. 



An Evening Call after Bed-time. — " This little expedition was not without 

 its sporting result. One night he chanced to fall asleep in his skiirm, when 

 his mind became impressed with a confused sense of danger : whilst between 

 sleeping and waking, he could not make out the nature of the peril ; but on 

 coming fully to himself, he distinctly heard the breathing of an animal 

 immediately near his place of concealment, and a sound somewhat resembling 

 the purring of a cat. A lion had crept close up to him as quietly as possible, 

 but still not unnoticed by his dangerous neighbour. Andersson seized his 

 gun, which was lying ready close by his side, aimed at the dark heap before 

 him, and fired. The beast's roarings and convulsive movements showed 

 plainly that the ball had told. It was not, however, until daylight, that 

 Andersson ventured forth from his skixrm to ascertain the effect of his shot; 

 when he found, to his great satisfaction, the lion lying dead at no great 

 distance." — P. xii. 



Returning for a moment to lying in ambush, I think it is impos- 

 sible not to differ from our traveller as to the advantages of studying 

 Nature in a moonlight ambush. 



Moonliffht Ambush. — " A moonlight ambush by a pool, well frequented 

 by wild animals, is worth all the other modes of enjoying a gun put 

 together. In the first place there is something mysterious and thrilling in 

 finding oneself the secret and unsuspected spectator of the wild movements, 

 habits and propensities of the denizens of Nature's varied and wonderful 

 menagerie, — no high feeding, no barred gates, no harsh and cruel keeper's 

 voice having yet enervated, damped or destroyed the elasticity, buoyancy and 

 frolicsomeness of animal life. And then the intense excitement between 

 each expected arrival ! The distant footstep, now heard distinctly rattling 

 over a rugged surface, now gently vibrating on the strained ear as it treads 

 on softer ground : it may be that of a small antelope or an elephant, of a 

 wild boar or a rhinoceros, of a gnu or a giraffe, of a jackal or a hou. And 

 then what opportunities present themselves of observing the habits and 

 peculiarities of each species, and even of individuals ; to say nothing of the 

 terrible battles tbat take place, and can so rarely be witnessed in the day- 

 time. I have certainly learnt more of the untamed life of savage beasts in 

 a single night's tableau vivant than during months of toilsome wanderings 

 in the broad light of the sun." — P. xv. 



I fear some critic will exclaim that these paragraphs are very 

 unornithological ; but how can I help this ? the author has written 



