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Show 80 MR. G. L. RATES OK THE [Feb. 7, shrub, a species of Vitex, lias been pointed out as its favourite food. That it eats leaves is certain from what I have seen in the stomachs of specimens. That it goes about on the ground at night is proved by the fact that specimens have been brought to me caught in dead-fall traps 011 the ground at night. The " nyok" seems to be silent when 011 the ground, and utters its cry only when up a tree. While it is certain that this animal constantly ascends and descends trees, it seems singularly ill-constructed for climbing, and one seeing it would almost as soon expect a pig to have arboreal habits. Its descent is easy, however, if it is true, as the natives tell, that it merely lets go and tumbles down. I have seen, indistinctly, an animal of the size of the " nyok" tumble from a leaning tree-trunk to the ground and rush off through the undergrowth. Its mode of ascent is difficult to explain : the fact that many trees stand leaning may help to account for it. I have been told more than once that the " nyok" reaches its high door by means of a ladder of tangled vines such as hang from every large tree, sticking its feet through the loops to climb. The long projecting front teeth look as though they might help it to climb. But a young specimen, the tusks of which did not project at all, was said by the man who brought it to have been shot while climbing a vine. The rubber-like surfaces of its long soles may help it to keep from slipping while climbing. This animal seems to be a favourite prey of the Leopard and of the Crowned Hawk-Eagle. T he E lephant (Elephas africanus). In this forest country Elephants are seldom seen. Their paths are in the most remote parts of the forest, but they often come on moonlight nights to outlying gardens or to deserted village sites where a few plantains and bananas are still growing. These they tear open, eating the tender heart. When they are feeding the noise of the breaking of branches can be heard to a considerable distance. The only sight I have obtained of elephants wild was at early dawn, in an abandoned garden, which they were just leaving for the forest. I was then struck by the ease with which one bounded over a large log. Many things go to show that elephants wild are far from clumsy, and are even agile in their movements. Their tracks often lead up or down steep hills. They range far through the forest and travel far in a day. The natives hang a small log, with a large iron spear-head set in the lower end, over a place where an elephant is likely to pass, in such a way that in passing he throws a trigger connected with the vine by which the log is suspended, and lets it drop on his back. When an elephant has been wounded in this way it is tracked far through the forest, sometimes for several days, and occasionally it is at last found dead. With the inferior guns the natives possess, they wisely refrain from shooting elephants, even |