XXVII 
CONCLUSION 
36 
destroyers of insects. I remember when, upon the 
White Nile, our diahbeeah was swarming with large 
cockroaches, that were far beyond our powers of 
extermination. These horrible insects are well 
known to be more than usually active during night. 
Bats were our welcome allies. There was a small 
variety which entered the open windows, and amused 
themselves till daylight in hunting our enemies. 
No American Indian conld have been more particular 
in the arrangement of the scalps of his slain. In 
the morning, the divan (or sofa, against the walls 
of the cabin) was ornamented with neatly made 
piles, about 2\ or 3 inches diameter, composed of 
the horny legs and wing-cases of large cockroaches. 
I imagine that each bat kept its separate pile, which 
must have contained the indigestible and rejected 
portions of about 15 or 20 of the insects. 
There are numerous animals, more or less interest¬ 
ing, which hardly belong to the classification of 
wild beasts. There are the wild asses of the 
desert, most beautiful and agile creatures, quite 
unlike the humble donkey of our civilised surround¬ 
ings. In these we see the reverse of evolution. 
The wild ass is widely distributed both in Africa 
and Asia, and it exhibits its connection in various 
colourings and affinities with the quaggas and zebras. 
The true wild ass is an animal of the desert. It 
is intensely shy and difficult of approach, and far 
exceeds the horses of the country in swiftness and 
endurance. The only method which is successful 
for capturing these animals is to pursue them with 
