HUMAN VULTURES. lOI They had not proceeded many yards when a crash, accompanied by a warning shout from Salee, was heard ; and turning quickly round they espied the buffalo making for, and almost on the top of them. A well-directed shot from Colvin brought the infuriated beast on to its head : it quickly struggled to its feet, however, and endeavoured to charge again, but feebly ; and another bullet soon administered the coup-de-grdce. Unfortunately it proved to be a female ; the shot fired the previous night had only wounded her in the hind-quarters. The breath was hardly out of her body vC-hen the Base, who, like vultures, had been watching the contest from afar, flocked to the scene.

Words fail to convey an adequate sense of the filthy spectacle that then took place. No sooner had the head been removed, and the body abandoned to them, than with yells and shouts they precipitated themselves upon the carcase, struggling for the possession of what they looked upon as titbits. All was fish that came to their net, entrails and every abomination included ; and no pack of jackals or hyaenas ever left a cleaner skeleton. Entrails, and all parts that could not conveniently be transported, were devoured raw on the spot ; and their black hides were soon dyed in gore, as they wallowed in the horrible mess.

In the afternoon Colvin and Aylmer each shot a buck viehedeJict or water-buck {Redunca Ellipsiprymnd) a very fine species of antelope, which we had never seen before. They have red hair, much like red deer, and fine annulated horns, and are very plucky beasts. One of them, when wounded, tried to charge Colvin when he approached it : he had shot it at about two hundred yards range, having hit it rather far back.

Two oays later a dead cow buffalo was discovered, that had been shot on the night of the 4th. It was found near the back