12 
Central Africa. 
Africa is especially noted for its animals ; hunters finding 
there, large game" in numbers. Herds of hundreds of 
elephants have been seen there by travellers, and being 
much valued on account of their ivory tusks, many thou- 
sands of these animals have been slaughtered. A pair of 
elephant tusks weighs from 140 to 180 lbs. ; ivory-traders, 
finding this branch of commerce profitable, engage largely 
in the pursuit of elephants. Africa is also the home of 
the lion, panther, leopard, hyena, jackal, ichneumon, rhino- 
ceros, hippopotamus, zebra, quagga, antelope, gazelle, 
girafie, camelopard, and wild buffalo, besides many smaller 
animals. Chimpanzees, gorillas, apes, monkeys, baboons, 
and squirrels, abound in many parts. Among reptiles are 
to be found crocodiles, serpents, chameleons, and scorpions, 
besides locusts, and tsetse flies, which latter are insect-pests 
of no ordinary magnitude. Crocodiles form dangerous 
hindrances to the progress of a traveller, being crafty, 
powerful, and numerous in all rivers and swampy places. 
A story is told of a crocodile in the river Nile, which im- 
putes to that reptile some amount of revengeful feeling, 
as well as of instinct. It seems that an Arab, who sup- 
ported himself by hunting wild animals, once came to this 
swamp in search of crocodiles' eggs ; and after frightening 
off three large crocodiles, discovered a quantity of eggs 
deposited in the sand, took them, and made off to his 
tent with his booty. One of the crocodiles, however, hav- 
ing watched the proceedings, went back to the sand and 
searched for her eggs. Finding that they had been taken 
away, she swam down the river until she got opposite the 
hunter's tent, when she remained watching for some time, 
her gleaming eyes being visible above the water. The 
hunter and his friends cooked some of the eggs that night 
for supper ; but immediately their fire died out, the croco- 
