36 
WILD ANIMALS. 
enas prowled and howled round the camp, much to 
every one's amusement ; they are such wary, cunning 
beasts that only one was shot, and our men had no 
delicacy in carrying it into camp for examination 
and dissection. In India private servants would re- 
fuse to touch such a piece of carrion. 
The ugliest monster is the wild boar — head narrow 
and long, with four warty protuberances, and the skin 
between the two tusks as broad as it is between the 
eyes. The mane is immense, but behind it there is 
little or no hair ; however, nothing looks prettier or 
more like a race of Arab horses than a herd in full 
flight going across the forest with erect heads and 
straight-up tails. We saw a crocodile, the colour of 
a tiger, lying on the bank of the Kingani, where 
the spoor of hippopotamus was visible. We came 
across very few chameleons or serpents, but saw a puff 
adder 2-| feet long, with abruptly short tail and four 
fangs. There were many species of lizards ; one twelve 
inches long, very handsome, with vermilion head and 
shoulders, and bright-blue body. Shooting two of 
these amongst some rocks cost us twelve cloths, as 
I was told that I had encroached on sacred ground. 
Rats, bugs, and musquitoes seldom gave us trouble. 
During rain, frogs and crickets were deafening. In- 
sects and white ants (eaten by natives) seemed to enjoy 
themselves by attacking us and the candle at night ; 
and small yellow butterflies, apple-green underneath, 
fluttered in suspense over the edges of little puddles. 
Of birds of song there were remarkably few : a 
species of lark on the coast had a short sweet note. 
Of game-birds, the ordinary guinea-fowl, weighing 
3^ to 3^ lb., was the most common, and ate deli- 
