NATURAL HISTORY NOTES 
111 
Canis mesomelas) and two white-tailed mongoose {Rerpesse 
albicauda). It was a great pleasure to me to meet children 
who were all so keen on natural history, and they are in a 
country with no natural history books to tell them of all 
the new creatures that are to be met with. The Germans 
have long ago brought out books on the fauna of G.E.A. 
When shall we do likewise ? 
Two duikers which had been brought up by hand by the 
children were as tame as cats, and were kept in the spacious 
fowl-run. They were so absolutely fearless that they came 
and rubbed up against me when I entered ; they slept at night 
in the fowl-house. On one occasion when they had been 
neglected and left unfed, these little antelopes, no larger than 
lambs, each killed a fowl, and were found eating same. I 
recollect reading in the P.Z.S. about 1905 or 1906 an account 
by Mrs. Hinde of Kenia of some antelopes which they kept. 
These beasts were found to be constantly killing fowls and 
lapping their blood until they were provided with a salt-lick. 
Now how did the beasts know that they would find salt in the 
blood of fowls ? 
In the garden were a number of chameleons, of which 
I saw at least seven ; these the children handled freely ; rushing 
into the garden when flies were superfluous at table and 
returning with one or two, which were replaced on the bushes 
when their services could be dispensed with. They failed 
to reduce the numbers of flies to any appreciable extent. 
Down in the stream I caught a dozen smooth-clawed frogs 
(Xenopus Icevis), taking six with one sweep of the net and 
four with another. I also took several frogs, one of which 
had retained its tail, though apparently full grown. The 
water-scorpions ( Nepa ) were as large as typical scorpions — 
that is, about three inches long ; water-beetles were very 
numerous. Saw several striped skinks ( Mabuia varia). 
One weaver bird’s nest contained an egg, white ground 
colour with red spots ; on the 22nd there was a second added. 
A dove had also, one egg, and I found an addled egg in the 
nest of one of the tiny waxbills, which are scarcely larger 
than a man’s thumb. There is no particular nesting season 
here ; you may find eggs at any time. This is not a boon 
Vol. V. — No. 10. I 
