PERIODICAL MIGRATIONS 15 



(Len^o) very greatly doubted if it would be 

 possible to shoot him, — at any rate, he was not 

 at all keen that I should undertake so hazardous 

 a venture, remarking with great truth that no 

 one could tell what would happen if I did. Of 

 course, although nothing would have induced 

 me to harm the poor old beast, there were, 

 nevertheless, several good heads in the herd 

 with which he was permitted to associate, and 

 I have sometimes thought that the singular 

 attributes with which native superstition in- 

 vested him may have arisen from the unusual 

 circumstance of an injured bull being permitted 

 by the younger males to continue to consort 

 with the herd. As a rule, waning powers are 

 quickly detected in the course of the encounters 

 which constantly take place between the males, 

 and no time is then lost in unceremoniously 

 turning away the worn-out bulls, who either 

 become soUtary animals, or, with several others 

 in similar evil case, meekly bear the bovine 

 burden of increasing years until they fall victims 

 in the end to man or the lions. 



I suppose really that the true reason for game 

 migrations connects itself chiefly with food con- 

 siderations ; that they share in minor degree 

 with the elephant the surprising knowledge of 

 the exact time of year when the fruit or leaves 

 or bark of some favourite tree, or some greatly 

 relished grass or other plant, is at its perfection of 

 ripeness and readiness to eat, and that when this 

 knowledge comes to them they set out, covering, 

 it may be, great distances to reach the tempting 



