OTHER GAME. 



The Elephant {Elephas afrkanus). — Oliphant of the Dutch; 

 Chloo of the Bechuanas ; Incubu of the Matabele. 



\^The outward appearance of the African Elephant is distinguished 

 from the Asiatic species by the remarkable size and expanse of the ears, 

 the prcsznce of 7vell developed tusks in the females^ the formation of the 

 head (the forehead being convex instead of concave)^ and the possession 

 of only three nails on the hind feet.'] 



Twenty years ago the Elephant was distributed all over the tropical 

 portions of South Africa, in some places in enormous quantities. 

 The advance of civilization, and the introduction of breech-loading 

 rifles among the native tribes, has contributed to their extermina- 

 tion with astonishing rapidity. It is regrettable to state that — 

 with the exception of a few scattered herds which still remain in 

 the most unfrequented portions of Matabeleland, and the extremity 

 of North-eastern Mashonaland — they are now only met with in 

 anything like reasonable quantities in the impenetrable bush of the 

 low-lying coast country in the region of Sofala Bay. A few herds 

 may possibly exist in the extreme North and North-east of Ovam- 

 boland bordering on the Cunene and Okavango Rivers ; but if so, 

 they are only a few tuskless males or young females. The last herd 

 frequenting the Botletle and the neighbourhood of Lake 'Ngami 

 was completely destroyed three years ago by Moremi's Bechuanas, 

 and although a good many are certainly to be met with in the 

 country between the Chobe and Zambesi, it is improbable that they 

 will survive the attacks of the Barotse natives during the next two 

 or three years. It may be mentioned that the Elephant is pre- 

 served by the Colonial Government in some of the forest country of 

 the Eastern provinces of the Cape Colony, but as it is a matter of 

 extreme difficulty to obtain a permit (which, when granted, costs 

 ;^20 for the right to shoot a single ^specimen), no one is recom- 



