212 IVORY AND THE ELEPHANT 



to many farm settlements, such as Olifantfontein, Olifants- 

 vlei, etc. There is said to be a herd of elephants in a semi- 

 wild state somewhere in the eastern part of Cape Colony. 



In Rhodesia, however, where the European settlements 

 are of so much more recent date, a certain number of ele- 

 phants remain, and are protected by legal enactments. 

 This state of things, though pleasant enough for the ele- 

 phants, has proved less agreeable for the farmers, whose 

 crops were often badly damaged by the wandering herds. 

 Indeed, so earnest were the complaints made to the authori- 

 ties from this source, that special permission is said to have 

 been granted to kill a number of the aggressors.* 



In this colony permits for shooting animals of the class 

 denominated "Royal Game," in which the elephant is 

 comprised, may be secured from the administrator if he 

 can be assured that the animals are really required for 

 scientific purposes. A £5 stamp must be affixed to the 

 permit. Applications must be addressed to the Director 

 of Agriculture and must be accompanied by documentary 

 proof of good faith. 



Should crops be damaged by any kind of game, the occu- 

 pier of the land is authorized to kill the offending animals, 

 and in certain "open areas" in the Hartley district and the 

 Sebungwe district permission was given to shoot or capture 

 all classes of game except ostriches and other birds classified 

 as game, for a period of one year from July 1, 1913, the same 

 privilege being accorded for the Lomagundi district from 

 November 1, 1913. The shooting or capturing of elephants 

 on the Walden Farm in the Hartley district, or within five 

 miles of this farm, was granted for a period of one year 

 from April 9, 1914, no special license being required. It 

 is expressly decreed that the holding of a license to shoot 



*Communicated by Dr. E. T. Mellor, Geological Survey, Mines Department, Pretoria, 

 May, 1914. 



