The lion has other checks on inordinate increase besides man.  He seldom attacks full-grown animals; but frequently, when a buffalo calf is caught by him, the cow rushes to the rescue, and a toss from her often kills him.  One we found was killed thus; and on the Leeambye another, which died near Sesheke, had all the appearance of having received his death-blow from a buffalo.  It is questionable if a single lion ever attacks a full-grown buffalo.  The amount of roaring heard at night, on occasions when a buffalo is killed, seems to indicate there are always more than one lion engaged in the onslaught.

On the plain, south of Sebituane’s ford, a herd of buffaloes kept a number of lions from their young by the males turning their heads to the enemy.  The young and the cows were in the rear.  One toss from a bull would kill the strongest lion that ever breathed.  I have been informed that in one part of India even the tame buffaloes feel their superiority to some wild animals, for they have been seen to chase a tiger up the hills, bellowing as if they enjoyed the sport.  Lions never go near any elephants except the calves, which, when young, are sometimes torn by them; every living thing retires before the lordly elephant, yet a full-grown one would be an easier prey than the rhinoceros; the lion rushes off at the mere sight of this latter beast.

In the country adjacent to Mashue great numbers of different kinds of mice exist.  The ground is often so undermined with their burrows that the foot sinks in at every step.  Little haycocks, about two feet high, and rather more than that in breadth, are made by one variety of these little creatures.  The same thing is done in regions annually covered with snow for obvious purposes, but it is difficult here to divine the reason of the haymaking in the climate of Africa.*

* ‘Euryotis unisulcatus’ (F.  Cuvier), ‘Mus pumelio’ (Spar.), and ‘Mus lehocla’ (Smith), all possess this habit in a greater or less degree.  The first-named may be seen escaping danger with its young hanging to the after-part of its body.

Wherever mice abound, serpents may be expected, for the one preys on the other.  A cat in a house is therefore a good preventive against the entrance of these noxious reptiles.  Occasionally, however, notwithstanding every precaution, they do find their way in, but even the most venomous sorts bite only when put in bodily fear themselves, or when trodden upon, or when the sexes come together.  I once found a coil of serpents’ skins, made by a number of them twisting together in the manner described by the Druids of old.  When in the country, one feels nothing of that alarm and loathing which we may experience when sitting in a comfortable English room reading about them; yet they are nasty things, and we seem to have an instinctive feeling against them.  In making the door for our Mabotsa house, I happened to leave a small hole at the corner below.