42 Animal Life in South Africa. 



a large central stop being placed over the flat surface of the 

 one nearest the object, thus illuminating it with only the 

 oblique pencils. These lenses were not achromatic, as mono- 

 chromatic light was employed. The value of these details will, 

 I trust, prove a sufficient apology for again trespassing on 

 your space ! - ? 



ANIMAL LIFE IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



BY H. CHICHESTER, ESQ. 



Although narratives of travel and of sporting adventure in 

 Africa have of late become so numerous, the amount of in- 

 formation to be acquired through their medium respecting the 

 peculiarities of the animal world in these regions, still beyond 

 doubt the finest game countries of the older continent, is 

 (with one or two exceptions) scanty indeed. We propose in 

 the following pages to notice a few among the many points 

 thus generally overlooked. 



Commencing with the hugest specimen of nature's handi- 

 work, the elephant, we have generally found two curious points 

 overlooked or ignored by writers — one is the rapid and noise- 

 less movements of this animal in the thickest cover ; the other, 

 his capabilities of passing over ground for him apparently 

 utterly unfeasible. The elastic noiseless footfall of the elephant 

 has been frequently referred to by writers on Indian subjects, 

 and has been rightly asserted to be the most agreeable feature 

 in journeying on elephant -back. This peculiarity may be 

 easily explained by an examination of the structure of the 

 animal's foot ; but the silent stealthy way in which he will 

 pass through the densest thicket, literally " slipping awaij" 

 when his acute senses of smell or hearing warn him of danger, has 

 been generally overlooked, and appears to us somewhat difficult 

 of explanation. Let any one unskilled in the mysteries of 

 "bush ranging/' attempt to move even a few paces in an 

 ordinary fox-covert without noise, and he will form some idea 

 of the difficulties presented to the passage of so huge an 

 animal as the elephant through the dense tangled undergrowth 

 of a South African "bush." Yet that the animal, despite his 

 enormous bulk, will " draw off," when within a few yards 

 of his pursuer, without the slightest noise, and with the 

 greatest rapidity, even in the thickest cover, is undeniable. 

 We may, however, remark that this faculty or by whatever 

 other term it may be described, is not peculiar to the elephant 

 alone, for it has been observed to a marked extent in the 

 moose or cariboo of North America. 



