INTEODUCTION. 



South Africa has been, from the early days of its 

 emergence from a simple home for savages, the happy 

 hunting grounds of sportsmen from all over the world, 

 and, alas ! the ruthless shooting down of game by biltong 

 hunters, game-butchers, and the like, inadequate game 

 laws, with still more inadequate means of enforcing them 

 — coupled with an epidemic some years ago, called the 

 rinderpest ^ have sadly diminished our noble game- 

 animals. 



In parts of Cape Colony, Koodoo, Elephant, and 

 Buffalo are still to be found, the two former in Albany 

 and the North-western Districts, while all three animals 

 still inhabit the Addo Bush and the Knysna Forests. 

 Buffalo may still be located in the thick bush near Port 

 Alfred as well. Elephant and Buffalo are now Royal 

 Game, but may be shot on a special permit, if found 

 destroying crops. Koodoo can be shot on a special 

 licence. 



Since these lines were penned, the Cape Government 

 has signed the death-warrant of the Addo herd of 

 Elephants, and Major Pretorious, D.S.O., of Bast African 

 fame, has been engaged to exterminate this monument 

 of Nature. All the efforts of the Transvaal Game Pro- 

 tection Association and various scientific bodies in South 

 Africa could not budge the members of the Provincial 

 Council. What the author of this work takes such strong 



