PHOTOGRAPHING A GIRAFFE 81 protective colouring, which is no doubt assisted by the patchwork character of his marking.

I became aware of another long neck beyond, looking over a ridge of bush directly at me. It was of a sober brown in colour instead of chestnut, and had hitherto been unobserved. Realizing that my chance was passing, though the bull was still too much absorbed in the aerial foHage to dream of creeping things upon the earth (an idea of one's personality which had not before presented itseK), I bent my head to the view-finder, pressing the button, and looking up found not two, but four, giraffes in full, lumbering flight.

On development of the photograph, it was astonishing to note how—in the absence of the contrast between the colours of hide and tree-trunks —the lanky proportions of the animal merged into the other components of the landscape ; so much so was this that, aided by the fact that exposure was made at the instant he discovered my presence at short range and was bounding round just facing me, it was actually difficult to outline him.

Lions appeared to be plentiful here, their tracks being quite fresh, and at Ein-el-Shems, where we had rested a day or two previously, camp had been pitched in the sand of the river-bed, not far from a pool, whence next morning was seen the trail made by enterprising crocodiles. This night the asses were particularly persistent in their braying: was it a note of defiance ? for the morning showed—200 yards away on the farther shore—the fresh spoor 6