80 MR. G. L. BATES OX THE [Feb. 7, 



shrub, a species of Vitex, lias been pointed out as its favourite 

 food. That it eats leaves is certain from what I have seen in the 

 stomachs of specimens. That it goes about on the ground at 

 night is proved by the fact that specimens have been brought to 

 me caught in dead-fall traps on the ground at night. The 

 " nyok" seems to be silent when on the ground, and utters its cry 

 only when up a tree. 



While it is certain that this animal constantly ascends and 

 descends trees, it seems singularly ill-constructed for climbing, and 

 one seeing it would almost as soon expect a pig to have arboreal 

 habits. Its descent is easy, however, if it is true, as the natives 

 tell, that it merely lets go and tumbles down. I have seen, indis- 

 tinctly, an animal of the size of the " nyok" tumble from a leaning 

 tree-trunk to the ground and rush off through the undergrowth. 

 Its mode of ascent is difficult to explain : the fact that many 

 trees stand leaning may help to account for it. I have been told 

 more than once that the "nyok" reaches its high door by means 

 of a ladder of tangled vines such as hang from every large tree, 

 sticking its feet through the loops to climb. The long projecting 

 front teeth look as though they might help it to climb. But a 

 young specimen, the tusks of which did not project at all, was 

 said by the man who brought it to have been shot while climbing 

 a vine. The rubber-like surfaces of its long soles may help it 

 to keep from slipping while climbing. 



This animal seems to be a favourite prey of the Leopard and 

 of the Crowned Hawk-Eagle. 



The Elephant (Elephas africanus). 



In this forest country Elephants are seldom seen. Their paths 

 are in the most remote parts of the forest, but they often come 

 on moonlight nights to outlying gardens or to deserted village 

 sites where a few plantains and bananas are still growing. These 

 they tear open, eating the tender heart. When th^y are feeding 

 the noise of the breaking of branches can be heard to a consider- 

 able distance. The only sight I have obtained of elephants wild 

 was at early dawn, in an abandoned garden, which they were just 

 leaving for the forest. I was then struck by the ease with which 

 one bounded over a large log. Many things go to show that 

 elephants wild are far from clumsy, and are even agile in their 

 movements. Their tracks often lead up or down steep hills. 

 They range far through the forest and travel far in a day. 



The natives hang a" small log, with a large iron spear-head set 

 in the lower end, over a place where an elephant is likely to pass, 

 in such a way that in passing he throws a trigger connected with 

 the vine by which the log is suspended, and lets it drop on his 

 back. When an elephant has been wounded in this way it is 

 tracked far through the forest, sometimes for several days, and 

 occasionally it is at last found dead. With the inferior guns the 

 natives possess, they wisely refrain from shooting elephants, even 



