HAMLYN'S MENAGERIE MAGAZINE. 



Mr. Arnold, in supporting, said that the ele- 

 phants did a lot of damage. They had proved a 

 pest to the farmers. 



Mr. Langenhoven spoke to the same effect, 

 although he regretted the extermination of cer- 

 tain species. If the Union Government reversed 

 its decision, he said, the Executive Committee 

 would stop the destruction. 



After further debate, the motion was carried. 



The Cape papers arriving by this mail 

 brought the above sad intelligence. Can nothing 

 be done to save these interesting animals from 

 extinction ? I always thought the game in the 

 Addo Bush were strictly protected. And now 

 civilization demands that the remnants of an 

 ancient race should be exterminated. Such is 

 our boasted chivalry. J.D.H. 



® 



VERMIN FIGHTERS IN THE 

 UNITED STATES. 



Skilled hunters in the employ of Uncle Sam 

 are waging persistent warfare against the pre- 

 datory animals that prey on sheep and cattle in 

 the Western States. Their efforts (says the 

 "Scientific American") are encoulraging stock- 

 men to increase livestock production on the Fed- 

 eral forest reserves as well as in the range coun- 

 try, and they are protecting the sources of war 

 supplies of meat, leather and wool now in the 

 western grazing districts. 



Hunters of the Biological Survey of the 

 United States Department of Agriculture have 

 killed 70,713 predatory animals during the last 

 three years, which has resulted in a direct saving 

 estimated at nearly 5,500,000 dollars a year to 

 the stockmen of the Rocky Mountain section. 

 The total kill since the fall of 1915, when the 

 work was started, includes 60,473 coyotes, 8,094 

 bobcats, 1,829 wolves, 201 mountain lions and 

 137 bears. The Government experts estimate 

 that the annual depredations among cattle and 

 sheep effected by single predatory animals are 

 as follows :— Wolf, 1,000 dollars; stock-killing 

 grizzly bear, 500 dollars; mountain lion, 500 

 500 dollars; bobcat, 50 dollars; and coyote 50 

 dollars. 



Stockmen in sections where the predatory 

 animals are obnoxious are aided by the Govern- 

 ment in ridding the ranges of such rogues. In 

 some localities the stockmen's associations co- 

 operate with the State and Federal authorities 



in the extermination campaign, professional hun- 

 ters being employed to detect and kill the prowl- 

 ing animals that prey on sheep and cattle. Il- 

 lustrative of the scope of this work, the total in- 

 come from pelts of predatory animals killed by 

 Government nimrods last year amounted to ap- 

 proximately 100,000 dollars. In addition many 

 other animals whose skins could not be reclaimed 

 were killed by poisoning. Ordinarily the United 

 States Biological Survey has from 250 to 350 

 professional hunters permanently in its employ. 

 The area wherein predatory animal control is 

 practiced includes ten districts : Montana, Idaho, 

 Washington and Oregon; Nevada and Californa; 

 Utah, Wyoming and South Dakota; Clorado, 

 Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. 



SOUTH AFRICAN SPORTING NOTES. 



ELUSIVE HIPPO. 



The Mazoe correspondent of the " Rhodesia 

 Herald" relates an adventure with a hippo which 

 lately appeared in the Umrodzi river : — 



"At night it gets out to feed on the tall, 

 lush grass that lines the banks, and makes an 

 occasional excursion into neighbouring fields with 

 a playful 'here-we-are-again, catch-me-if-you-can 

 air.' The spoor has been confusing; sometimes 

 no. spoor can be detected. A careful search was 

 at last rewarded, and an obviously new spoor 

 leading into the river showed where the hippo* 

 lay hidden. It was useless to attempt to make 

 the object of the hunt reveal himself, and there 

 was nothing for it but arrange for a night watch. 

 Three eager sportsmen took their places by the 

 light of a newborn moon at the suspected pool. 

 The watch was long, as watches usually are, 

 and the hippo showed no sign. 



"The mosquitoes were many and active, and 

 they argued fiercely and with much humming. 

 They picked out the deadliest shot of the daunt- 

 less three, and their attentions were so persis- 

 tent, that he took refuge under his blanket. A 

 rustle in the grass made him think that his com- 

 panions were getting restless too, and he could 

 not think that a moster of a ton or more could 

 move so gently. But the rustle continued, and a 

 quick glance from under cover inspired rapid 

 action. A great silvery grey mass, almost white 

 in the moonlight, was advancing slowly towards 

 him, and was almost on his feet. A roll over 

 and a grab at the blanket misplaced the gun, and 

 groping for it lost precious minutes. The fright- 

 ened brute was making for safety. A rapid shot 

 which could not have missed, a plunge and a 



