102 THE ZEBRA— THE ELAND 



been regarded as the dreaded source of danger. 

 One therefore asks oneself in vain what the reason 

 for a protective colour scheme for use hy day only 

 could possibly have been. Except by man, the 

 game of Africa is, practically speaking, left almost 

 undisturbed during the daylight hours; and it 

 must be quite clear that it is only during very 

 recent times that protection from him need have 

 entered into consideration. I remember having 

 an interesting conversation a few months ago 

 with Mr. Selous upon this point, and found that, 

 in the main, the opinion of this distinguished ob- 

 server very largely coincided with my own. 



The Eland, the largest, and to my mind 

 the most valuable, of all the African antelopes, 

 is common in many parts of Zambezia. In 

 flat, wooded country — that charming park-like 

 half-forest, half-plain of which so much of 

 this interesting region consists — they are found 

 in large herds. You may perhaps imagine 

 surroundings in which thinly tree-covered areas 

 alternate for many miles with open grass, these 

 openings surrounded by tropical-looking date and 

 hyphoene palms, and overhung at the edges by 

 the fronds of brilliant, glossy ficus, by acacias, 

 and other forest growths ; where in their season 

 the papilionaceous trees are covered with a per- 

 fect blaze of bright colour, and the silvery sheen 

 of acres upon acres of feathery bamboos fill in the 

 gaps in a picture of rare beauty. Here in the 

 early mornings herds of any number up to sixty 

 or seventy elands may at times be found feeding. 

 They eat both by day and by night, but chiefly 



