The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-11-15

IonB before they can sec HIM hidden
In the thick Jungle. The Arabs on
the AbysSinian frontiers are his most
successful hunters. They ride him
down at racing speed and hamstring
him with their broadswords In such
a cha-r Tie giraffe runs with bound
ing trot, unlike that Of horse in that
he lnovcS his two legs on either side
~ the same direction simultaneously.
# only a young giraffe can be cap
tired it can be nurscd by common
American COW until mature.
The true zebra is among the African
animals especially desired. 1t isnow
almost extinct and many difficulties
will be met in capturing one in avid
state. The few now remaining are
scattered in the highest mountains of
l'cchuanaland and CaFraria, near the
present scat Of war. The true zebra
never dcsccnds into the plains. While
It's herds pasture upon the steep hill
sides, several arc always posted on the
stcepcst outlying crags to give a note
of alarm at the furthcst approach of
danger. The natives can capture
them only with lassocs. An effort
will be made to obtain good specimens
OF the nearly extinct quagga, closely
resembling the zebra His head and
forcparts are marked with stripes,
which, however, grows more and more
indistinct toward his hind cxtremi-
ties. His name and tail are white.
The few existing to-day will be found
below the Vaal, near the Bocr cities.
A popularity of the quagga is his
fondncss for the ostrich, with whom
he is always accompanied in his trav-
els. The dwarf bushmcn and the ma
tivcs Of Bcchuanaland- just west of
the Transvaal-rclish his yellow, oily
flesh.
The dark continent will contribute
an African elephant, type distinctly
different from the Asiatic species,
commonly seen in our mcnageries and
zoos. The African elephant is heard
of in modern times only as wild
beast, although the ancient Romans
domcsticatcd him and trained him for
their wars. His forehead is ccnyoS
rather than concave, like that of the
Aslatlc; his ears are very much lar
ger and are turned back over his head;
his tusks are thicker and longer, and
his skin is deep black rather than
gray. lie has been known to grow q
central tusk. He is very ferocious and
in captivity will be difficult to manage
at first.
Our consular representatives are re-
requested to procure the fast disap-
pearing African buffalo, once distrib-
uted south of the Equator. He re-
sembles huge black OK, but has
thicker horns joined over his forehead.
Native hunters, who must now 40 to
tue Matabele country to find him,
agree that he is the most dangerous of
their forest beasts. Hearing the ap-
proach of foes, he craftily hides in the
thicket and awaits an opportunity to
make furious dash. After falling
from wounds he suddenly rises to re-
new battle, tossing his surprised VIC
tim high in the air and trampling him
to death. The natives locate his hsgds
by peculiar sound made by rub
bing their horns against the forest
trees.
The most diabolically hideous of the
hundreds Of creatures wanted from the
land of the negro is the wart hog. A
name Of long bristles covers his spine.
Below his savage tusks he wears
growth of long, white whiskcrs. His
eyes, high in his head and elevated
corners, ere made more dovilish by
long black brows and lashes. He de-
rives his name from an added adorn-
ment Of huge, feshy warts behind his
eyes and along his nose.
Other interesting and valuable quad
ruped freaks to be sought in Africa
are the zorill, strange species of
skunk, tanned by the natives as rat
ters and mouscrs; the North African
ichnuemon, or pharaoh rat" which
feeds on lizards, snakes. rats aud 9th
or pests unpopular with humanity,
and, therefore, paid divine honors by
the ancient Egyptians; and the aark
vark, or African ground hog, which
feeds upon insects and erects little
dome.shapcd mud huts.
The list prepared for officials in the
new possessions indicates that expan-
sion of our animal kingdom will be