10 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 6l 



The weight of the skin was now about three hundred pounds. The 

 smaller skin of the calf, after it had been pared, was less than half the 

 size and weight of the adult and offered no especial difficulty in 

 transportation. 



During our absence from the permanent camp the neighboring 

 veldt had been fired by Grogan to rid the district of the tall grass 

 which so confined the sight of the rhinoceros hunters that very little 

 game could be found. There was considerable dispute among the 

 guides as to the effect of such a conflagration on the rhinoceroses. 

 The burning of the grass proved, however, to be a wise measure. The 

 game did not leave the district, but continued here, feeding in the 

 isolated patches of grass which had escaped the fire. The burnt 

 country was covered by a soft film of black ash which facilitated 

 tracking wonderfully, adding further joy to the hearts of the hunters. 



The day after returning to camp we were free to engage in the 

 preparation of further rhinoceros skins and early in the morning Col- 

 onel Roosevelt set out in quest of more of these uncouth monsters, 

 taking the skinners and the writer with him. After travelling a few 

 hours fresh tracks were found on the burnt ground. The spoor which 

 indicated three animals was followed through a maze of other tracks 

 and finally, about ten o'clock, the animals were found in some country 

 thinly interspersed by bushes. They were a family consisting of a 

 bull, a cow and half-grown calf. The bull was wounded by Kermit 

 and killed by his father, as it bolted toward the shooting party in a 

 dazed condition. The calf, bewildered, came back to the dead bull 

 at the moment we were preparing to measure the beast. By shouting 

 and handclapping the gun-bearers frightened it away. The height 

 at the shoulders of the bull was only five feet and three inches, a 

 height often attained by the black species. The contents of .the 

 stomach of this specimen was solely grass. 



The afternoon was spent skinning the specimen. When the tents 

 arrived they were pitched near the carcass and everything was 

 arranged for the night. During the night a few hyenas were heard 

 near by, but they did not venture into camp. The distant roaring of 

 lions was heard at intervals, the animals evidently being a mile or 

 more away. These lions were the only ones in the district. They 

 showed extreme caution owing to their fright the night before, and 

 did not again venture near any of our camps during their nocturnal 

 wanderings. 



The next day, the 15th, the Colonel shot two more rhinoceroses. 

 The first one was secured by spooring over the burnt country, but 



