734 Proceedings of the Royal Society 
many fall victims to their would-be prey. These hunters also 
employ variously constructed traps. Tor large game the most usual 
form is the pit-fall. The pits are about 7 feet deep and taper 
towards the bottom, in which spiked stakes are often inserted. 
They are very neatly covered over by reeds, over which are spread 
banana leaves, and these again are strewed with earth. Buffaloes 
and large antelopes are caught by wreaths composed of the 
branches of the thorny bush, so contrived that the thorns all point 
inwards. These wreaths are somewhat conical in shape, and are 
placed in holes scooped out of the ground. They are secured by a 
strong rope to a heavy log of wood or to the trunk of a tree. When 
the animal steps on the wreath its foot goes through it, and the 
thorns prevent its being shaken off. Other traps are made by 
suspending heavily weighted spears above the paths by which the 
animals go to water; they are arranged to fall as the animal 
passes underneath. Heavy beams of wood are also arranged with 
a very slight support, which, when touched, allows the beam to 
fall. Baits are placed beneath these traps. 
A great variety of noose snares are employed. Hippopotami are 
hunted from boats with two-pronged harpoons. The natives are 
very expert in avoiding the wounded animals. 
The inhabitants of several villages often join together for the 
purpose of driving game into nets. A large enclosure of strong rope 
nets is made, each village supplying its own proportion of men and 
nets. The animals are driven within the circle and then speared. 
By this means hundreds of animals are sometimes slaughtered in a 
day. In hunting, the man who gives the fatal wound is supposed 
to appropriate the horns and to get the largest proportion. of meat, 
but a great deal of discussion and quarrelling take place in the 
hunting expeditions. This is more especially the case when one of 
the party happens to be of higher rank than the others, as he 
generally annexes the best of the booty, and permits his retainers to 
fight for the remainder. There are no laws for the preservation of 
game in Uganda, but certain skins (I think leopard) and a propor- 
tion of the ivory must be handed over to the king. 
Meat is preserved by drying it in the sun or smoking it over the 
fire. The animals are skinned and cut up where they fall. 
I only know of three superstitions connected with hunting. The 
