HAMLYN'S MENAGERIE MAGAZINE. 
79 
was invited to have an off day in the Addo to 
shoot a piuked bull. He came, he saw, and he 
departed with the remark that the jman who 
hunted elephant in the Addo for fun was. every 
kind of a suicidal ass, for the bush is so thick that 
it can only be entered by game paths; and the 
elephant could only be located by sound and smell. 
Some years ago the writer, seated on the 
stoep of the Commando Kraal homestead, the 
present headquarters of Sir Percy Fitzpatrick's 
irrigation staff, remarked as he looked across the 
flats to the bush on the opposite ridge, that the 
Addo after all was full of open spaces. "Where 
are they?" asked the farmer. "Why, those 
stretches of yellow grass." The farmer produced 
a field glass, whereupon the open spaces of yellow 
grass appeared as patches of withered moss grow- 
ing on trees. There were no open spaces except 
wood paths and narrow game trasks — and apart 
from these the bush was almost impenetrable, 
bearing shrub about twenty feet high with occa- 
sional tall trees and euphorbia and nois boom, 
whose sappy roots are dug up by elephants and 
by Kaffirs who chew the pith for the juice. 
A very large proportion of the shrub is spek- 
boom, or oliphant bos, a succulent evergreen — 
and this supply of a favourite food explains, to- 
gether with the thickness of the growth, how the 
remnants of elephant hordes have so long found 
sanctuary in the Addo, within a few miles of the 
towns of Port Elizabeth, Uitenhage, and Alicedale 
junction. 
It is under normal circumstances not natural 
for elephant to remain so localised, for when at 
liberty to choose their feeding pround they often 
make lonp treks, especially in seasons when the 
wild fruits are ripening but they cannot escape 
from the Addo without striking farms, roads, 
railways, and open veld. This enforced impris- 
onment within an area, though large, since it 
covers probably over 400 square miles, has bred 
into the herd a confirmed shortness of temper, 
and has, we gather, reacted on the growth of the 
animals, since the Addo elephants have apparently 
no big tuskers. 
(To be continued.) 
GENERAL NOTES. 
By John D. Hamlyn. 
THAT a film version of Rider Haggard's popular 
book, "King Solomon's Mines," is shortly to 
be shown to the trade. The book contains 
plenty of scope for the spectacular. I am told 
the scenes depicting wild elephants in the jun- 
gle are remarkable and unique. 
THAT the Director, Zoological Gardens, Rotter- 
dam, writes under date 27th February : — 
"Please send 9, 10 and 11, Vol. III., at 
next opportunity, as I greatly wish to have 
your well-written and very interesting Maga- 
zine complete." , 
These have been sent him. 
THAT the arrivals, animals and birds, during the 
past two months, have been practically nil — 
about a dozen Monkeys and some Budgerigars 
constitute the importations. I feel sure that 
the animals and birds now on their way from 
Calcutta, due here any day, will be the first 
arrival of live stock for 1919. The African lot 
should arrive at end of March. The second 
Indian consignment should be here at the end 
of April. ,, 
THAT during January 42 additions were made 
to the Zoological Society's menagerie, includ- 
ing two lion marmosets from South-East Brazil, 
two Bennett's wallabies from Tasmania, and 
two Caspian terrapins from Palestine. 
THAT "The Empire News," February 9th, gives 
forth the following startling information : — 
THE JUNGLE IN KENT ! 
The suggestion has been made that wild 
animals playing an important part in specta- 
cular films might be bred in this country for 
the purpose, and a profitable trade line built 
up. 
The idea is not favoured by the head of 
one of our finest Zoos. To an "Empire News" 
man he said : — 
"One of the finest pictures showing wild 
animal life was produced thousands of miles 
from the haunts of wild beasts — Kent. 
"These animals are specially trained, and 
may be hired out time and again. The de- 
mand, however, would not exceed 100 beasts 
a year, and it would scarcely pay a breeder 
and trainer to cater for the market. 
