MISCELLANEOUS NOTES, 263 
hunting but also for protection on their powers of hearing and sight ; to say 
however that they never use the power of scent would be a mistake, as this 
possession is used, or shall we say attempts are made by this means, to gain 
information, but the animal seems to be adrift. I know such opinions are all 
wreng to the armchair’ naturalist or museum scientist, but the instances put 
forward by Mr. Stuart Baker are worth more than all our home gasbags put 
together even if they were multiplied a hundredfold. 
I know it is no use my laying down the law without giving facts, so here are 
a few experiences :— 
_ The Lion.—I was on “ Safari ” in Muri Province, Northern Nigeria, one early 
morning, moving through small elephant grass about 10 to 12 feet high and going 
down wind (of a force of about 12 miles per hour) when my old tracker (dot and 
carry one) murmured softly ‘‘ Ziki Baturi.” After a few words of argument I 
took the express and went forward softly for about 40 yards to where the grass 
stopped and halted in amazement at the sight of 5 lions strewn round the car- 
case of a Roan in artistic positions at a distance of no more than 20 yards. I was 
so surprised that putting my hand to my pocket, in which I always carry a small 
bag of flour, I tested the wind. The lions were not upset at all nor even had they 
any suspicions, and it was not until I stepped out in full view that interest and 
hurried life came on the scene. The resultant slaughter does not effect the 
question at all. 
Another example.—This time in a very far away country to the north of 
Uganda where game animals had never had a modern gun fired at them and 
herds of waterbuck, kob, zebra, etc., stood to gaze at one, full of curiosity. 
I was out on a big plain teeming with Kob (Cobus coba thomas?) as far as the 
eye could see about 1-30 a.m. on a glorious moonlight night, as Colonel Glasford 
calls it ‘‘ Ghooming ” shod with very thick rubber soled boots. Finally taking 
up the position (A) behind an anthill I sat quietly smoking, drinking in the glori- 
ous beauty of the scene, when some hidden sense caused me to quietly look 
round to my left where I saw a lion coming up wind about 80 yards away, quietly 
and without any fuss just like a dog trotting down a lane at home. The lion 
took the dotted path as shown in the diagram, passing me at thirty yards until he 
arrived at (B). By this time I was very curious indeed to discover the whys 
and wherefores. The lion waited at (B) for quite a time, ten or twelve minutes, 
until I heard a cough between the hills. Our lion then got up and deliberately 
walked down wind (I following) full in the open on to the Kob which bolted 
down wind and were rushed by three lions, at about the place (C). The hunting 
was successful as two Kob were pulled down. Our lion then joined up after a 
friendly scap with a lioness and the two set to work on the one carcase, but the 
other two, both lionesses, did not eat together. I did not see the actual pulling 
down on this occasion but I have done so on other occasions and although it is 
most difficult to get a proper idea, owing to bad light and the quickness of the 
operation, what occurs seems to be that the lion rushes the prey, seizes it by the 
neck with its mouth whilst it hurlsits force by impact onto the shoulders of the 
animal giving the neck a wrench round. The whole business, done so quickly, 
breaks one of the neck vertebrie, death being instantaneous. 
African Buffalo.—Here Iam on delicate ground myself as scent does play 
a part, but not the sole and only part our gas bag friends would have us believe. 
The first instance was with Bos caffer branchyceros or the Lake Chad variety 
of the Congo Desert species. This gentleman is small for his long name but 
makes up for this by having a nature truly Corsican as when he is roused it is 
war to the death, aggressive and defensive. The country is a nightmare for the 
sportsman as only those can realise who have crawled after buffalo into their 
strongholds. 
’ The buffalo in question had been hit badly, but rather far back, about 6-30 a.m. 
and had promptly gone for cover, so, giving him plenty of time to stiffen, I went 
