THE SERVAL 213 



ears are strikingly characteristic and reminiscent 

 of the hirxes ; but, apart from the evil reputation 

 which they share with others of the smaller cats 

 of being incurable hen-roost robbers, servals are, 

 nevertheless, bold and successful himters, and 

 run down their prey in the same sporting manner 

 as that which distinguishes the methods of the 

 hunting leopard. Although essentially night 

 prowlers, I have nevertheless seen them in pixr- 

 suit of guinea-fowls and francoUn up to a late 

 hoiir of the morning. I have also seen them in 

 the branches of trees, which their cat-Hke claws 

 enable them to cUmb with great ease. 



Sitting resting one day in the interior of 

 Quelimane district whilst the midday meal was 

 being prepared, my chaii- and table set out on a 

 widish road bordered by high grass and bushes, 

 and surrounded by a silent cohort of tired carriers, 

 a distressed and evidently injvured guinea-fowl 

 suddenly rushed out of the grass cover, closely pur- 

 sued by a beautiful serval. They disclosed them- 

 selves at a distance of not more than 20 feet from 

 where we were all reposing. There was a pause 

 for a fraction of a second, and then the serval 

 made good his escape. Xot so the guinea-fowl, 

 however, which was promptly run down by some 

 of the more active among my people, and soon 

 afterwards became my property by means of the 

 usual method of exchange. I do not know how 

 far my impressions formed from the momentarj- 

 glimpse which I caught of this animal justified 

 the estimate, but the serval I then saw — certainly 

 a larger animal than any I had up to that time 

 15 



