Annual Report of the Game Department for the year ended 31st December, 1935

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Publisher Game Department, Uganda Protectorate

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UqANDA PROTECTO ATE.

I ANNUAL REPO T

o THE • GAME DEPARTM~N • FOR THE . Year ended 31st December, 1935.

I·

~nhli£heb hll ®ommanb of ll.li£ Ot.n:ellcncrr the Q301mnor.

ENTEBBE: PRINTED BY THE GOVERNMENT PRINTER,. UGANDA• 1936 { .-r ~... ..

, LIST OF CONTENTS. .

SECTION I.-ADMINISTRATION. PAGK. StaJr 3 Financial-Expenditure and Revenue 3 FOR THE DJegal Ki)ling of Game and Breaches of .Bame La"'s ... 5 Game Ordinance, 1926 5 Game Reserves...... 5 Game Trophies, 'including Table of ,,·eight. of "hcence" ivory i

SECTION Il.-ELEPHANT CO~TROL. Game Warden Game Ranger8 General Remarks 8 Return of Elephant. Destroyed ...... •.. 8 Table d Control Ivory. based on tUok weight; and Notes 9 Clerk ... .•. J Table "(11 ,"'onnd Ivory from Uncon[,rolled are:>. ' .. 9 Tabld\'ot Faun.!! Ivory from Controlled sreas; and Notes - 9 Distritt Oont~t ... 10 1. Figures for-I General No~ r-Fatalities 18 Expenditure Elephant Speared 19 Visit to lYlasindi 'Township 19 Revenue Sex R.atio ... 19 Balanc'e 0" Curio,us Injury due to Fighting 19 Elephant Swimming 19 Nalive Tales 20 The revenue was Ri!!es ' 20 t(a) Sale of (b) Sale (c) Gam SECTION IlL-NOTES ON THE FAUNA. Receipts frolIl f\., (A) M'M~I'LS- (i) Primates 21 1934 figures; and from (il) Oarnivora 22 (iii) Ungulates 25 2; The result (8) BIRDS 30 November were quite (0) REPI'ILES 34 mately Shs. 6 at the for Although in th SECTION IV.-GENERAL. price of ivory, there w (A) Diseases of Game 37 ivory at the quarterl (B) EconomIC Industries 39 of the year (in October (0) Notes of General Int..,rest 40 affect the local marke Cow ivory has SECTION V.-FISHERIES. while the prices realI'S' advance and helped con (A) ECONOMIC­ General 43 The year close Brea·ches of Game Laws (Fish Sections) 44 but with a decided te Development and Oontrol of the Victoria Nyanza F1ShlDg Industry 44 Preparation of Statistics 44 weight. J.1arger tusks 1 Statistical Tables: (A) Number of half·yearly licences issued; 3. Game and ~, (B) Quantities of nets imported; (0) Dried fish landed from Sese and l{orne; Resident' (D) Dried fish imported from Mwa·nza· ; (E) Dried fish exported to Belgian Congo; Visitor's. (' Lake Bunyonyi 46 Resident's I Lake Mutanda ..... 46 Visitor's C' Lake. Mureyhe . 48 Resident' La1.1! Mugisha. (or Rai·yumbu) 48 I,ake Saka 46 Resident' 'Lake Wama.la ... 49 ResIdent's Co~eJal Development: Native's Fi: (i) Lake Albert: Native's L:1ke Albert Resources, Ltd. 50 Other Non-Native Interests 50 Native's Native Industry 51 Bird (il) Lake Edward 52 Resident's (iii) Other Waters ... 54 Resident's (iv) Nsonzi Fishery, E:igezi 64 (v) Introductions 54 Native's' Experimental Nets 54 Native's' LegislaLiou 55 Special L Notes of Geueral Interest 55 .... Q-overnor's ---~ (B) ANGLU1G- (a) Trout 56 .. Includes a (b) Tilopia Nigra m

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THE GAME DEPARTMENT.

ANNUAL.REPORT. PAGS. 3 3 FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 ST DECEMBER, 1935. 5 5 5 7' SECTION I.-ADMINI~RATION. Staff List.

Game Warden CAP'I'. C. R. S. PITMAN, D.S.O., M.e. Game Rangers CAPT. R. J. D. SALMON, M.e. 8 F. G. BANKS. 8 9 Olerk J. LOBO. 9 Expenditure and Revenue. 9 10 1. Figures for 1935 are as follows:­ £ shs. "ts. 18 Expenditure 5,:2.85 13 4'1 19 19 Revenue 16,313 16 18 19 Balance of revenue over expenditure 11,028 2 71 19 19 20 The revenue was dehved n,s follows :- £ sbs. cts. 20 tea) Sale of ivory, rhinoceros horns and hippopotamus teeth 13,549 16 18 (b) Sale of buffalo hides and other trophies (c) Game licences and Governor's permits 2,764 0 00 Receipts from f(a) show an increase of £3,992 4s. 18 cts. n,pproximately over 21 1934 figures; and from (c) an increase of £649 168. 22 25 ~. The results of the two ivory auctions held respectively in May and 30 November were quite satisfactory, and the average price per lb. realised was approxi­ 34 mately Shs. 6 at the former and Shs. 6/55 cents at the latter. Although in the course of the year there has been no spectacular rise in the price of ivory, there was a steady progressive improvement in the prices of soft bull 37 ivory at the quarterly 3,uctions held in London with tbe exception of the last one 39 of the year (in October) when there was a slight decline, which, however, did not 40 affect the local market as revealed by the November average. Cow ivory has been in better demand, and bas found a steadily ritling market, while the prices realised in Mombasa at the November auction showed a marked advance and helped considerably in raising the all-round average to neu.rly Shs. 7 per lb. 43 The year closed with local prices for bull tusks not only firm at Shs. 7 per lb. 44 44 but with a decided tendency to rise, and a good demand for bull ivory of 30 to 40 Ills. 44 weight. Larger tusks were in less demand, and the prices lower. 3. Game and special licences, and Governor's permits were issued:- 1935. 1934. Resident's (Full) 162 150 Visitor's (Full) 3 46 Resident's (Fourteen-day) tj 7 48 Visitor's (Fourteen-day) 2 3 48 4B Resident's or Visitor's First Elephant 39 44 48 Resident's or Visitor's Second Elephant ; 20 18 49 Resident's or Visitor's for rfwo Elephants 34'" 10 Native's First Elephant 17 20 Native's Second Elephant ... 10 5 50 50 Native's Special Licence for Two Elephants 12* 2 51 Bird 617 608 52 Resident's or Visitor's Third Elephant 4 54 Resident's or Visitor's for Three Elephants 1 54 54 Native's Third Elephant 3 54 Native's Special Licence for Three Elephants 55 Special Licence for one Rhinoceros ... 55 Governor's Permits 5 t The gross value realised was £15,401 178. 28ct•. 56 ~7 • Includes a few of the new ,,'two elephant" licence. issued subsequent to 15th Octob.r, 4

In order to make elephant hunting more attractive and also to assist in the sale of Full Licences by virtue of which application can be made for Special Licences, two elephants may now be killed for a c£lO licence when formerly the fee for one was £10. The fee for the Third Elephant is tho same, ,no, as that for the Second Elephant under the previous arnwgement. Similarly tho Native Special Licence for Two Elephants is £5 (the fee for one previously), and. for a third, £10. ; 4. 'rhe revenue from the sale of game and elephant licences shows an appreciable and welcome increase (£64~) 16s.), and if it had been possible to introduce earlier than mid-October the legislation altering the Special Elephant Licence materially in favour of the licence-holder, the improvement doubtless would have been greater. There was a definite increase over the normal monthly average in the value of licences taken out dnring the last two months of the year, and it is anticipated that in 1936 revenue from licences will exceed £3,000, and it is hoped be nearer £3,000. Many sportsmen only ta,ke out the (Full) Game Licence to enable them to obtain Special Elephant Licences, and a considemble increase is expected in the demand for Full IJicences, of which 1935 issues exceed those of 1934 by twelve. Bird Licences are as popular as ever. 5. Uganda Government ivory was sent to Mombasa for sale, and during the year two auctions were held at \yhich the totid weights sold and average prices realised \\'ere as follows ;- • Appl'oximate average Weig-ht. Gl'OSS price realised. price per lb. Jiay- Lbs. :I.: shs. cbs. Shs. cts. 1yo1'"'I" 25,2911 7.584 15 67 6 00 Rhmoceros horns ... 5./; 3 {} 37 12 00 Hippopotamus teeth 137" 9 8 92 1 38 Novcrnbc1'- Ivory ... 23,5841' ... 7,717 1 61 6 55 Rhinoceros horns 10... 7 12 68 15 27 Hippopotamus teeth 871... 3 13 47 0 83 I ~Rhil1oceros horn shows a ma,rked advance on 1934 values; Sh. 1/38 cts. per lb. for . hippopotamus teeth is abnormally high and the usual rate is well below a shilling. 6. The tot2J of 48,856 Ibs., or nearly 22 tons of ivory sold, is a few tons in excess of the quantity disposed of in 1934. These £gures are unlikely to appeal to the bigoted protectionist, but anyone who takes the trouble to study carefully the elephant control section of this Report will realise that our organised methods at present barely control the situ3,tion, and jf we n,re to afford the inhabitants of this fertile bnd the measure of protection which is their due, an annual slaughter of elephants on a large scale is not only necessary but imperative. It is undoubtedly an unpalatable pill for many, though it has to be swallowed. There is more on this subject in otber parts of this Heport. 7. Critics wbo delight to shut tileir eyes to the seriousness of the local situation and deliberately ignore tbat there 3,re such important factors as man and his crops, are, from the recesses .of their comfortable armchairs accustomed to level the accusation that our metbods a.re directly influenced by revenue-making considerations. Such an idea is entirely erroneous and the general policy of organised eleph8,rn~~ control in Uganc1a has never deviated from the original intention that its first ~nd main consideration is the protection of the interests, Le., the lives and property of the inhabitants. ", It so happens that the situation still warrallts what might at first appear to be~ excessive killing, and so long as this is considered necessary the annual toll exacted is bound to be heavy, but as soon as changing conditions permit there will be a definite reduction in the rate of killing, though, from the evil which at present is of daily occurrence, it is difficult to visualise when a slacking off in control effort will be possible. 8. Hostile critics should try and realise the ever-increasing difficulties of control--it is not :l tHatter of just strolling out and shooting dozens or hundreds of elephants in nice opnll country. Present day protective and reductive opel'ations entail extraordinarily exacbing work under incredibly unfavourable conditions, and prartically every elephant ~lestroyed is the result of hard work without rival, which has to be .- 5 a.nd also to assist in the experienced to be appreciate? For re~s~ns v.hich sh?uld be obviolls no one would ~e de for Special Licences, happier than those engaged ~n control if 1t were practlcable to call. a halt and stop thi~ y the fee for one was £10. intensive elephant destructIOn. One of the Game Rangers, With over forty years .u for the Second Elephant experience of exten~ive elep~ant sh~oti~g has recorded at the end of 1935: "~he first Special Licence for Two consideration now 1S for natlve cult1vatIOn and reductIOn of elephant numbers. c..O. 9. Ivory, etc.:- .~ces shows an appreciable (a) Balance in store at Mombasa on 31st December, 1934­ Lbs. siole to introduce earlier Ivory 18,290 &nt Licence materially in Rhinoceros horn 'M ave been greater. Hippopotamus teeth 103t (b) Received at Mombasa between 1st January, 1935, and 31st December, 1935-- '-'lJ average in the value Ivory 44,383i 'ear, and it is anticipated Rhinoceros horn 441 - ped be nearer £3,500. Hippopotamus teeth ...... 229t (0) Balance in store at Mombasa on 31st December, 1935­ nce to enable them to Ivory 13,387i is expected in the demand Rhinoceros horn 34·~ Hippopotamus teeth 108t " twelve. J Lbs. (d) Balance at :Mombasa OD 31st December, 1934 ... 18,290 Received at Mombasa during 1935 44,383~ for sale, and during the 62,673i average prices realised Sold during 1935 48.856 Shrinkage 430 49,286 Approximate average Balance at Mombasa on 31st December, 1935 13,387t price per lb. Shs. cts. 6 00 Illegal Killing of Came and Breaches of Game Laws. 12 00 10. Serious breaches of the Game Laws are no longer numerous, and the majority 1 38 of convictions are for petty offences. 61 6 55 Illicit dealings in ostrich eggs are frequent, and there has been a distinct revival 68 15 27 47 0 83 of the trade in blue monkey skins. A close watch is being kept in certain localities from which there is a possibility ,n. 1/38 cts. per lb. for of ivory being smuggled, and in this connection developments are expected which are JI below a shilling. likely to discourage future illicit trade in this commodity. old, is a few tons in Early in the year there was a case of giraffe killing in the Northern Province. ikely to appeal to the y carefully the elephant 11. At the end of the year, although no rhinoceros horns had passed through ods at present barely the Merama Hill Customs Post in Ankole in transit, it was discovered that considerable this fertile land the quantities of this valuable commodity, purporting to originate in the Congo, were elephants on a large leaving Uganda supported by documents no less than two years old and of doubtful an unpal.atable pill for authenticity. The matter was still under investigation when the year closed, but the necessary steps are being taken to prevent fraud of this nature in the future. The - bJect lU other parts export of rhinoceros horn from RU:1ndf1-Urundi was completely prohibited by decree as far back as June, 1933, so that the existing situation in cOl1nection with the consign­ riousness of the local ments of horn which have been leaving U gauda is, to say the least of it, curious. Q.t factors as man and accustomed to level Game Ordinance, 1936. by revenue-making 12. Min"or alterations in legislation concern fishing (these are mentioned on a later page) and the declaration of a elosed area in Southern Ankole for the purpose of organised elephant assisting veterinary research. n that its first and 13. An amending Ordinance which was long overdue was added to the Laws " and property of the on 15th October. Its principal features are ;- t first appear to be (a) The control of the photography of scheduled animals; nual toll exacted is ere will be a definite (b) An alteration in the terms of the Special Elephant Licences to the , prese~t is of daily advantage of the sportsman, and it is hoped to the ultimate benefit of ort w1ll be possible. Protentorate Revenue. Game Reserves. "~asing difficulties of 14. Bunyoro and Gulu.-The wild ungulates in this Reserve :1re definitely on ozens or hundreds of the increase, and it remains to be seen whether rinderpest which appeared in West ve operations en tail Madi on the Sudan border at the end of the year crosses the Albert Nile as has been ons, and practically customary in previous epizootics and infects the susceptible species in the Game I, which has to be Reserve and in the vast restricted sleeping sickness area to the north. 6

15. The Game Ranger made protracted tours in both the Gulu and Bunyoro portions of this Reserve. Entering from Amar ~n Gulu he found "a grand lot of 'game, very placid and unalarmed," and records: "It is obvious that the Native '20. The approxir Administration supports the game laws very adequately. I can't say the same for the year can be estimated Bunyoro, as going in frOID Pakan'yi game is very scarce and very shy until quite near 21. Uganda eont the Nile a.nd Lake Albert, where it is reasonably placid and trusting. Buffalo are pleasantly plentlful in the vVairiogo and Zolia rivers area and this will soon begin appended return ?ho.ws,. to show along the Nile to the increased pleasure of those going by steamer to satisfied to fill their Ircen' possible to obtain three E the Falls. the course of the year a "While I was watching a group of waterbuck afew LDiles below the Falls they reserves and closed areas became very agitated and I expected to see a lion, but it was all over a pure white baboon which sta,lked in alOong them. I had a good 1001, at this old male and with '2'2.. That such 2 the exception of a few dark hairs round his lips he was a complete albino." studies the figures in the Disgruntled elephant h 16. Semliki.-In April the District Commissioner, Taro, toured part of the ull\-villingness to accept. a Semliki Game Reserve i1nd in certain places found it to teem with kobo Buffalo and unfamiliarity with local hartebeest were observed in fair quantities, but all antelopes were a trifle shy. and a disinclination to al One lion only was seen, but the great cats were heard every night. Hunting '23. Big elephant (wild) dogs were conspicuous by their absence. of a short period of hunt The Game Ranger, Mr. Banks, also toured this Reserve, but in June, when he tho' ali naturally the rea found half of it under water. The grass was high and seeding. At the usual places nurriber left, and widely he found the normal quantities of game. ,- It is quite true a~ Native poachers with freshly-killed antelope mMt were found at unaut,horised cases licence-holders evi waitino to be killed; ani fishing camps in the Reserve e11st of the Wasa river. Poaching in the Reserve is fa~lt evi~ently on a small scale and indulged in only by small parties of spea,rmen who with the of the Governn the'aid of dogs hunt kob and hartebeest and who do not resort to organised netting. '24. Return of tl There has been no news of the Semliki hunting dogs for a long period and frOID loca.l information it is believed that these pests have transferred their activities to north of the Muzizi river. District, 17. Lake George,--There is plenty of game in considerable variety, including numerous elephants and buffaloes, in the Lake George Game Reserve. Unfortunately Mengo wild animals are not always conspicuously in evidence at the roadside, and as the Mubende ::: \ average car travels along the road boundary of the Reserve at a speed of 40-50 miles _Mll.saka an hour it is little wonder that so many visitors complain that they have seen no Allkole Toro :::-1 game. The Game vVarden has travelled up and down this road on numerous occasions Boima, during the past thirty months and hn.s never failed to see elephants and buffalo, Ma.sindi '''1_ .. even at mid-df1Y ; but, it has usually been necessary to stop and use glasses between West Nile 1 miles 90 and 96, 'fhe Game Ranger almost invariably sees plenty of game whenever Gulu 2 Chua ...'''1 he passes; while from Mohokya camp near mile 96, on tbe opposite side of the road. ~oroti to the Reserve, it is often possible in tue early morning to see big herds of buffaloes KamIDoja Ilngishu and elephants immediately below the camp, not to mention watel'buck, kob and ... \ --0 'B.usoga ...... wart-hog. '::-- A Game Scout, unarmed, has patrolled each of the Taro Game Reserves TOTAL 3 alternately for two months, He has not seen hunting by natives on the old wholesale scale but reports small parties of natives going out endeavouring to crawl up and spear repre~ antelopes, especially females and young. The above figures. These small parties are extremely difficult to catch. Actually wild (hunting) There are 78 bul dog and lion kill more game than tbe natives. A small pack of wild dogs was seen under 90 lbs.; and five' hunting near Katwe, p,nd one being shot the survivors left the area. This leaves 48 Ii 18. Lake Edward.-The Game Ranger, Taro, paid a brief visit to this Reserve tusks of less than 40 lb during March and found game fairly plentiful, especially topi, but it was not possible three elephants should to tour the best game areas, which are in the vicinity of the lake shore. '25. Export per 10. DumbCL.-It haos not been possible this year to visit Damba Island for lion skins, and just aVE more than a few hours, far too short to find out what is going on; but fresh traces of country. situtunga were al)undant. '26. Nine rhino From various sources information is from time to time received that poaching a remarkable decrease is still fairly prevalen t. drawn to transit traffic j 7

GUIll and Bunyoro Game TrophIes. I "a grand lot of ; that the Native 20. The approximate number of elephants obtained by licence-holders during t say the same for the year can be estimated from the permits issued fo! the export of tusks. y until quite near 21. Uganda C~-9tlll-ues to provide plenty of reasonably good bulls as the sting. Buffalo are appended retnrn shows; ;:Lnd although many residents and some visitors are quite is will soon begin satisfied to fill their licences with moderately endowed tuskers, espeCiaJly now that it is ng by steamer to possible to obtain three elephants for the fee previously paid for two, there has been in the course of the year a grievance ventilated in the Press to the effect that outside the ;low the Falls they reserves and closed areas there are no longer any big tuskers left in Dganda. lover a pure white old male and with 22. That such an idea is entirely erroneous will be obvious to anyone who lbino." studies the figures in the table which follows and who delves further into this Report Disgruntled elephant hunters frequently result from inexperience coupled with an oured part of the unwillingness to accept. and act upon expert advice offered. To this may be added kobo Buffalo and unfamiliarity with local conditions, a reluctance to pay for the necessary assistance rifle shy. and a disinclination to allot adequate time for the search for a big tusker. y night. Hunting 23. Big elephants in the past,'it is granteil, were often obtained in the course of a short period of hunting, some by good management and others by chance; but , in June, when he though naturally the really heavy t.usl>.ers are nowadays far fewer there are still a fail ov~x I,.t the usual places nUlllber left, and widely distributed all the Protectorate. It is quite true as a harassed junior wrote to his superior officer that in some Id at unauthorised cases licence-holders evidently expect big tuskers to be tied up along the roadside n the Reserve is waiting to be killed; and if the hunters go away empty-handed after a rush vii3it it is pea,rmen who with the fault of the Government! :anised netting. 24. Retu'.'D of tusks from elephants shot by licence-holders :- : period and from their activities to .o:S .D~ .ci:e .D~ ~=: 1 .ci~ l..ci~ .d~ ~~ ~o -0 ~o _0 _0 -0 _0 -0 ~o oC'1 oro o~ Oil') otO ot- o 'X) 00') 0- \ • ~ ~ l ~ .. I ...... ,... ;... "M h :.. l.Q h '.0 J-. I --;"" 00 h C'l h ~TAL DIstrIct. J.-l ~ J-1 ~ To-( ~ ,... ~ J.-l ~ J-. ~ ""' ~ %.l ~ J.-l ~ /o-l- ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~a ~c ~~ ~~ ~o variety, including ______I~~~~~~-oP.~~I o~ e. Unfortunately Mengo ... 2 I 14 13 I 9 ... .. 4 42 iside, and as the Mubcode 2 9 15 2 S I 36 d of 40-50 miles Masaka ... ..: I 4 5 ~ 2 I ... 12 bey have seen no Aukole ... 3 3 giL 4 3 .., 34 umerous occasions Toro ... '2 I 13 6 I b 1 ... .., ... 30 Hoima 6 10 8 I 22 7 1 I 1 56 ants and buffalo, Masindi ...'''1 '2 4 4 ...... 10 : glasses between West Nile .. . 1 3 14 1 9 I 5 8 4 1 I... 3 48 f game whenever Gulu ... 2 2 I 1 7 1 S . 1 1 '2 28 side of the road Chua ... '2 I 4 i 4 4 14 • SOroti '" 1 2 ... ' 1 '2 herds of buffaloes Kar-dIDoja 2 2 jerbuck, kob and ,Bngishu ...... "'I"'!'" ...,.....' ..1 1 .. \ ... I I 2 ~~UB()ga ...... , 2 _...... ,.. 2 >. 1 ___ -1 ____------·-'---'1- 0- ) Game Reserves TOTAL ... , 31 24 68 80 I 75 43 10: 6 I 5 4 318 the old wholesale 1 ~awl up and spear The above represents 159 elephants, almost a 60 per cent. increase on last year's figures. y wild (hunting) There are 78 bulls with tusks of over 40 and under 60 Ibs.; 30 of over 60 lbs. and Jd dogs was seen under 90 Ibs.; and five with tusks over 90 Ibs. (four of these tusks exceed 100 Ibs. each). This leaves 48 licence elephants, or approximately 30 per cent. of the total, with lit to this Reserve tusks of less than 40 Ibs., and indicates that the sportsma.n taking out a licence for t was not possible three elephants should be fairly certain of bagging two with tusks in excess of 40 Ibs. e. . 25. Export permits show that 258 leopfl,rd skins (ten less than last year), 14 Damba Island for lIon, skins, and just over a ton (2,278% Ibs.) of hw~opotamus teeth, were sent out of the but fresh traces of country. .

26. Nine rhinoceros horns, aggregating 33 lbs., were exported Vi' hich constitutes ved that poaching a remarkable decrease on the figures for previous years. In paragraph 11 attention is drawn to transit traffic of rhinoceros borns under distinctly suspicious circumstances. 8

27. Mention is made in paragraph 10 of a revival in the trade in blue monkey 34. Tabll skins, as well as an increased demand for ostrich eggs, many of which, illegally represent tbe nun possessed, have had to be confiscated. of control operati,

28. With the exception of a consignment of wild animal skins (November) District. valued R.t 8hs. 20 no game trophies entered Uganda via the Merama Hill Oustoms Post..

29. Between January and August 798k Ibs. of transit ivory valued at £218 6s. Entebbe BOets., and wild animal skins valued at £25, entered Uganda via the. Gisoro Oustoms ?Butiaba, between January and March, leopard skins valued at £21 Kigezi Toro entered in transit: during the rest of the year there was notbing. Roiraa Masindi From the Congo, during 1933 and 1934, four (£1l0) and one (£26) cwts. West Nile .. respectively of ivory, and in 1934 five C'wts. (£'230) of rhinoceros horn, entered Gulu (Madi) via Chua Butiaba. Busoga Lango Totals

35. It wil over 80 lbs., fOllr which, added to confound the crit. above could eq lla.ll. 36. The a approximately 13 SECTION 1I.-ELEPHANT CONTROL. previollsly. TherE on account of spe Buruli, uncontroll. 31. Reduction of elephants, in addition to crop protection and organised to be bigh. control is, with the exception of the Eastern Province, still necessary in nearly every 37. About distl'lct throughout the country. It is estimated, from every possible source of loss, that Mr. Banks' intere: the aggregate elephant wastage in Uganda during 1935 was approximately 2,100, number of bulls t, practically the same as in 1934. quantity of cows, ( These are startling figures, but when one realises that despite a wastage during considerable superi( the last three years vt approximately 6,000 this small Protectorate is still literally 38. Fuund over-run with elephants--big, dangerous, destructive beasts-the necessity for this appalling slaughter must be acknowledged. Busog 32. There is every indication that the additional (third) elephant now permitted Karan the licence-holder will materially assist control by inducing elephant hunters to destroy Kigezi increased numbers of bulls of a type which are normally the worst cultivation raiders.

Return of Elephants Destroyed. 33. 'rhe number of elephants killed by the Game Department staff is as under :- 39. Fcunr7 "c. of No. of ~o. of No. of Sing-Ie lbs. District. elepbants. males. females. tnsks. tnskers. Total weight. District. Entebbe 25 24 1 50 3771; Mengo *175 122 53 346 4 4,560i Mubende 291 141 150 568 14 6,515i Entebbe Masaka 69 29 40 136 2 1,603! Mengo Ankole 145 62 83 284 6 3,384 Jlfubende Mosaka Kigezi 1 1 2 94 Ankole Toro 213 140 73 419 7 6,036~ Toro Hoima 105 90 15 2CJ9 1 3,106 Hoima Masindi 252 187 65 493 11 7,137 Masindi West Nile West Nile 112 75 37 222 2 1,806~ Gulu (Ma.di) Gulu (Madi) .,. 134 52 82 260 8 2,913! Chua Cbua. 15 14 1 29 1 1,016 Busoga 2 2 4 138 Totals Lango 7 7 13 1 459 40. The 2 TOTALt ... 1,546 946 600 3,035 57 39,146i standard of previo ~upervisjon • Tbe Mengo figores are sbort by abont 160 elepbants, which «ere destroyed in Bulemezi-Buruli dllring tbe latter given part of the year, for tbe tllsks bad not arrived at district beadqua.rters when tbe ven.r e'Mo' 9 Jlue monkey 34. Table of Control lvqry hased on Tusk Weight.-The following figures cb, illegally represent tbe number of tusks of below and over 10 Ibs. weight obtained in the course of control operations. (November) District. Under lover Over Over I Ovel' Over Over lover lover I' Over Over Tota.l No. ~toms Post. ' ______IlOlbs. lOlbs. 201bs. 301bs. !Wlbs. 501bs. 60"lbs. 701bs. SOtbs. 901bs.".lOOlbs. of tusks. 36 --1-3- 1 ------..-.- I '.. 50 at £218 6s. Entebbe wo Customs Mengo 188 84 47 22 2 2 1 .. '346 Mubende 323 155 45 29 6 6 3 1 .. 568 Masaka .. 76 30 22 8 .. .. 136 Ankole .. I 164, 76 21 13 8 2 .. .. 284 1ued at £21 Rigezi .. , "I 2 .. \ •. 2 Toro 197 126 56 21 9 3 3 I .. I 2 I" 2 419 Roimo. 90 68 32 61 5 3 3 2 .. 209 Masindi 219 161 49 37 20 7 , '1 I 493 (£26) cwts. Wes~ Nile 152 58 6 2 4 .... 222 entered via Gu1u (Madi) 149 67 11 20 8 4 I "I .. 260 Chua 4 4 1 71 6 6 1 .•.. 20 Busoga 21 .. • 2 I 4 Lango , 2 1 10 I ,• 13

Totals .. ,1,598 842 295!175-T----e9----;7I--1-1 1--4-1~1--..-1--2-3:035

85. It will be observed that the tusks included two in excess of 100 1bs., two over 80 lbs., four over 70 lbs., eleven over GO lbs., 37 over 50 1bs., and 69 over 40 1bs., which, added to the corresponding figures in the table in paragraph 25, rather confound the critics who contend that there are no big tuskers left in Uganda, for the above could equally have been obtained by licence-holders. 36. The average weight per control t.us'k shows an appreciable deeline and is approximately 13 1bs" as ~gainst 14'3 lbs. in 1934 and 1j lbs. for several years previously. There is no doubt that in 1933 and 1934 the average had been maintained on account of special intensive operat.ions respectively in West. Nite and Buleruezi­ Buruli, uncontrolled areas in which the quota of shootable bulls destroyed was bound 1 organised t.o be high. early every of loss, that 37. About 50 per cent. more bulls were killed than cows, and in this connection ~tely 2,100, Mr. Banks' ir.. teresting suggestion in paragraph 142 may explain the disproportionate nUill bel' of bulls tabulated each year and t.he apparent inability to destroy a larger quantity of cows, especially as up till now it had been believed t.hat cow stock was in bage during considerable superiority. bill literally jY for this 38. Fuund Ivury.-Found ivory from uncontrolled areas is represented by:- Total weight. No, of tushs. lbs. v permitted Busoga 6 l60} to destroy Karamoja *13 130i Kigezi 2 26- 1 raiders. 21 317

,s under;­ • Four tusks totalling 43 Ibo. were confiscated. Ibs. 39. Found Ivory 1'1'0/1/ Control Areas.- Total weight. I ] 377J. District. IUnder lover lOver lOver lOver Over lover lover lover lover Tota.l J~t':~t 4,560t ._---,lOlbs, ~~I~, 301bs. I~' ;(JIbs, 60lbs, I~~ 9Olbs. tusks. ~ 6,51.~,t , I I I Entebbe iJ ..! 2 .. I 2 I•• •• •• ( •• 4 601 h' 1,60 -l Mengo 3,384 ", 19 15 5 1 1 .." I .. .. 41 488! t 1 Mubende 16 4 2 2 ,. I .. 24 3411 94 Masaka "I.. 4 2 •. 6 78 6,036} Ankole · " 8 1 2 .. II 921 Toro 2~ 3,106 15 7 ., 'I .. 1 2 2 49 654 a Hoima. ~ 2 1 " .. '. 8 92 7,137 Masindi 4 2 4 2 2 .. .. 14 315t v 1,806~ West Nile ·. 25 I 7 7 4 . . 4 . . I 1 1 I 50 999 of! 2,913i Gulu (Madi) Chuo. .. 8 110 4 1 3 4 1 3~' .. 34 1,002 1,016 ••I 9 5, II I ....I I ., I ., I ",.. .. I 25 344 138 Totals .. j123-57f4-7fJ2"T8!-1-0-:--3-'--4-1 1 --I-2"66i 4,467.i' 459 o c 39,146!! 40. The achievements of the native staff have fully maintain~d the high lie standard of previous years, and are eloquent testimony of the efficient training and the latter supervision given them by the Rangers. The a\'erage expenditure" of approximately w~ four rounds per animal killed is unchanged. wlli 10

41. Officers of the Provincial Administration and others have, as hitherto, 54. A 1 afforded much appreciated assistance in the general conduct of control work. has also assistE Tba~lks are also due to the Officers of the King's African Rifles stationed at eastern parts of Bomba for thei'r much appreciated assistance whereby 59 elephants were destroyed III 55. Ent Bulernezi (see paragraph 50). district a remal damage to cult 'Buganda Provlnoe. an elephant lJ) 4~. Mengo.-Rep'orts of damage-by elephants, though not so extensive as III than '23 elephan 1934, have been fairly frequent throughout the year. The achievements of the Entebbe for the intensive operations of 1934, and the results of a few brief spells of control during 1935 It is po have encouraged an underf;tandable tendency to exaggerate on the part of the lOcal particularly the populace who thereby hope that the despatch of assistance will be accelerated. and Semuto, 118 . 43. On the other hand quoting from the words of a District Officer after inspecting district. the scene of a raid: " In some cases shaIllbas have been so cOllJpletely destroyed that 56. lYlub the owners have been compelled to emigrate froUl the vicinity." Such devastation during the year £ was comwon enough twelve years ago through the greater part of Buganda, the achievements ('2E Western Province and Bunyoro, but nowadays is abnormal. 57. The 44. Capt. Salmon operated in approximately the same area and on the same elephants in the lines as in 1934, driving the herds north. These activities were undertaken for short sent in of depred periods in April, June and September. vVith the opening of the car ferry across the Rafu river at Kayira there is now direct communication between Masindi and 58. It is Kampala via Nakitoma, Naka.songola, Luwero and Bombo, and the Game Ranger from Bulemezi may hi Masindi will in future be able to deal more expeditiously with the Buruli ann Kampala-Boirn B1.llewezi elephants. nearly ten miles 45. Although huge numbers of BuruJi and Bulemezi elephants have crossed the 59. The! Kafu and returned to Bunyoro during the year about 280 have been killed in the 60. uril course of control operations. The situation in this portion of the Mengo district is elephants to tbe :: yery muoh easier than it was a year ago and is likely to remain so. lengthy rest from ,16. In Bulemezi, in June, Capt. Salmon found a great deal of damage within maintain the ach: ten miles of the Luwero-vVakyato road. At the end of June there was a big 61. MLlsa concentration of elephants along the Sezibwa river. h:1S decreased app 47. In September the herds were all split up, and no group was seen exqeeding of damage are rno 100 strong. Owing to the comparative scarcity and wariness of the elephants EndeD,VODr it was impossible to make a very large bag. rrhere seems to be a bull herd resident guard temporarily between Kakoge and the Sezibwa river, otherwise this year there have been practicn.lly staff and more Ul no elephants between the Lugogo and Sezibwa. At the end 48. A group of ten bulls which had made their way into the lcng-grass country district, particDla south of Sernuto were exterminated; this is bad country from which to eject established where the elephill elephants. . population. It '" 49. At the end of October the Game Ranger reported that: "The situation in with tile sltuatlOI this area (Buleruezi-Buruli) is greatly improved compared with last year, but as this 62. Vide is due in the main part to exp1tlsion, other areas may be expected to show the reven;e. (Sango Bay) rcgi l I know great numbers have croMed the Kg,fu into Bunyoro during the last few months." intimation that t 50. The Officers of the 4th Battalion, King's African Rifles, have continued to which resulted in help the populace, and have destroyed more tha,n two dozen shamba-miding elephants: visit of the guard their 3Jsslstance is much appreciated. 63, The 51. In Burnli and Bulernezi there are a goodly number of elephants with 40 areas in the nort and 60 lb. tusks, but during the dry season the bigger bulls manage to hide themselves At other times a, S.E., and groups very successfully. The biggest pair of tusks from this region in 1935 is a found pair eat; tern and.l.-.E, of 74 and 70 lbs. 64. Ther 5'2. As soon as the amendments to the Game Ordinance were enacted (on 15th the Taro forest I' October) increasing the number of licence elephants from two to three, there was a as when alarmed considerable influx into Buruli-Bulemezi of elephant hunters eager to fill their licences. 65. Fim on the Bushenya 53. In the northern portion of the iVlabira forest there are still a few elephants and after the 1 which turn up unexpectedly from time to time in the shamba areas, fortunately , (S. Ankole). without doing much damage, and the visits are usual1y of a hurried nature. 11 have, as hitherto, 54. A Native Administration Game Guard armed with a '404 magazine rifle ,rol work. has also assisted in elephant control when necessary, principally in the southern and Rifles stationed at eastern parts of the district, and has accounted for eight mara.uders. were destroyed in 55. Eniebbe.-The year 1935 is noteworthy as it has seen iuthe Entebbe district a remarkable decrease in elephant numbers and also a ver,Y welcome decline in damage to cultivation. For the last six months there appears to have- been scarcely a.n elephant in the district, and the Game Guard's bag for the whole year is no more so extensive as in than 23 elephants. It must be mentioned, however, that tJ1e guard was absent from hievements of the Entebbe for the months of July, August and September. :ontrol during 1935 It is possible that the Bulemezi-Buruli operations of 1934--1935, and part of the local particularly the extermination of the elephants based on th.e region south of Kiramula :celerated. and Semuto, has directly and beneficially influenced the situation in th:, Entebbe icer afterinspecting district. ely destroyed that 56. Mubende.-Three permanent guards 'were employed in elephant control Such devastation during the year and destroyed a totn,] of 291 elepbants, almost identical with last year's of Buganda, the achievements (288). 57. The District Commissioner is of the opinion that: "The large number of and on the same elephants in the district does not seem to diminish and armost daily complaints are 3ertaken for short sent in of depredations from almost every gombolob." l' ferry across the een Masmdi and 58. It is possible that the jnten'sive operations of 1934-1935 in Buruli and hme Ranger from Blllemezi may have tended to augment lVIubende numbers, and in early August on the the Buruli and Kampala-Hoima road south of the Kafu the Game 'Warden noticed for a distance of nearly ten miles the traces of a large scale rnovement.o~ elephants westerly.

;8 have crossed the 59. The guards all remark on the increasing difficulty in getting up to elephants. been killed in the , Mengo district is 60. During the last ten years this district has contributed great numbers of eleph&.nts to the annual totals and it may soon become necessary to give the herds a lengthy rest from the incessant punishment meted out if a small staff is expected to of damage within maintain the achievements of past years. there was a big 61. Masaka.-The number of elephants destroyed by the single Game Gua.rd haa d.ecreased appreciably from 118 in 1934 to 71 in the present yeM, yet complaints 'as seen eXGeeding of damage are more numerous than before. of the elephants bull herd resident Endeavours were made in the middle of the' year to post an additional expert e been practically guard temporarily to the·district, but this was found impossible owing to the paucity of staff and more urgent needs e!sew here. mg-grass country At the end of the year the situa.tion W<18 oat of hand in ma.ny pa.rts of the ) eject established district, particularly in the south of Buddu, and in Koki, Kabula and l\1awogola, where the elepha.nts continue to do much damage a.nd (in S. Buddu) to terrorise tbe population. It would appear for the time being that one guard cannot adequately deal Tbe situation in with the situation, and provision for an additional guard has been approved in 1936. year, but as this :bow the reverse. 6'2. Viele pa.ra.graph 113 (b), 1934, the ma.n-killing rogue in the Ka.tera t few months." (Bango Bay) region resumed its dreade<;i activititls in early April wbich wa.s the £rst in timation that this scourge was still at large. It is hoped that the puni tive measures LYe continued to which resulted immediately had the desired effect as once again subsequent to the ding elf'phants ; visit of the gua.rd there has been no recurrence of man-killing. 63. The principal Nhsa.ka herc1, totftlling several hundreds, inh,),bits the open lpbants with 40 areas in the northern part of the district, and a.fter the rains moves southerly into Koki. lide themselves At other times according to' climatic conditions it is apt to mid southerly, S.W. and is a found pair S.E., and groups frequently enter the Entebbe district. This herd also marauds freely in ea8tern and N.E. Ankole. acted (on 15th 64. Then there is a herd of less than a hundred which dwells permanently in :;e, there was a the Toro forest region near Sanga Bay. To deal successfully with this herd is difficult r to fill th eir as when alarmed it retires far into the semi-inundated trackless forest. 65. Finally, there is the large Tanganyika herd of a.t least 500 animaJs, based few elephants on the Bushenya forest (over the border) which raids freely and destructively during ;, fortunately and after the, rains into the Manzira. forest region, South Kob, a.nd Bukanga :;. . (S. Ankole). 12

66. It is practically impossible to deal effectiv~ly with 'this herd as it s.peedily ,75. T retires over the border into neighbouring territory where it cannot be touched. (a) A Efforts are being made to obtain the co-operation of the Tanganyika Game Department time of the ye as the situation is becoming serious. of November, 67. In the dry weather, often for months at a time, this elephant herd retires and small her' to the uninhabited regions along the Kagera river, where it does no damage a,nd·affords -(b) T an interesting spectacle to travellers by the Kagera river route (see paragraph 140). . Banyoro are • elephant, for Northern Provlnoe. will the eleph: 68. BunyoTo.-Bunyoro is another district in which the inadequ~cy of the been permitte existing staff is increa.singly apparent. With the five guards available it is hopeless out, no easy n to expect satisfactory results, but it is confidently anticipated that the additional staff supportf.d by approved for 1936 will afford material relief. ntil it is pos hittin~ or: or 69. The Bunyoro eiephant situation is padiculady interesting as certain events another dueu of this year coupled with control activities of the present and last twelve months, and the happenings of years long past, all seem to indicate that for some time there has (c:) T thOllah it has been a close association between BnruJi-Bulemezi in Buganda and Buruli-Kibanda o . in Bunyoro, and that large numbers of elephants, which for a considerable period however, 18 e" ~ have been residing south of the Kafu, bave now returned north of that river to their certain to be old homes based on the Nile and the Game Reserve. common with unpleasant. 70. The District Commissioner, Bunyoro, records: "Elephants are definitely (d) l" on the increase in the Budongo and Bugoma areas, and it takes the whole time of Bunyoro G:tJ the limited staff available to deal with them. elepbant8, hai "Elephants from the Budongo herd have done considerable damage to the and their cror cultivation 0f natives living between the Kiriandongo-Mat,uuda road and the boundary 76. 11 of the Game Reserve. that assistanc "Excellent (control) work has been done, often in very difficult country, and are not so f a record number of elephants have been shot during the year. Game ardel "The re-alignment of the Ga,me Reserve boundary in Bugungu necessitated for the eject action being taken against elephants in that area." and r':ile regie 71. In view of the carefully considered opinions of those best qualitied to judge 77. S that with few exceptions elephants are generally increasing throughout the Protectorate, new settlemen it is necessary to review the situation, particularly in the case of Bunyoro, if a· definite a few miles e~ increase is an accepted fact. 78. 'I' 72. A glance through the Annual Reports of the last ten years reveals that the which have 1 Game Department in its elephant control methods has never claimed mme than much a resllH keeping pace with the normal annual increase. But, in the course of the same ten to a large pi years the local population has not remained stationary, and the steady increase in the have d,velt I numbers of human inhabitants has naturally been followed by an ever-growing tendency been followed for sAttlement, and the necessary cultivation, to extend farther and farther afield. Bunyoro mai: 73. In Bunyoro expansion can only take place mainly into areas in which for 79. ~ generations tbe elephants have been accustomed to live or roam seasonally. This reduced, inC! would be bad enough if the case was restricted to no decrease in elephant numbers and rapidity of pI a progressive increase in-the local population: but in addition there bave undoubtedly 80. ( returned to Bunyoro within recent months large numbers of elephants which have main elephal evidently been absent for years. tbe move on In consequence, the Bunyoro portion of the Game Reserve (south of the Victoria sufficient gu: Nile) is almost certainly overstocked with elephants which results in an ever-increasing numerous el tendency for them to emerge in all directions and create- havoc in the settled areas. another qual The Game Ranger reports that it is many years since be has seen so much wanton drive them ( destruction, and that in some instances the devastation has been so complete that the accessible to populace has been forced to move elsewhere. 81. 74. With four areas of primary importance in which protection is needed, methods to a staff of five guards does nut go-very far. The four areas are :- elepbants ta (a) Kibanoga-Kihukya, situated to the east and east central. 82. (b) The Wah valley, in the road triangle between lYIasindi, Eoima, Butiaba marauding j and Maflindi. to shoot a s (0) rrhe Bugoma forest region. depart. (d) The Bugungu region on the Lake Albert-Nile littoral. 13

with 't.his herd as it s.peedily .75. Taking the above in detail:- here It cannot be touched anganyika Game Department (a) Although the main damage occurs in the Kibanda-Rihukya region at the time of the year when the herds are out of the reserve, i.e., usually from June till the end of November, abnormal rains or other factors may at any time induce raiding groups , this elephant herd retires and small herds to leave the reserve. t; does no damage and affords (b) The new track through the fertile Waki valley is now complete, and the '.route (see paragraph 140). Banyoro' fue anxious to move in and settle, but the presence of hundreds of hungry elephants for many months of the year is an effective obstacle" to settlement. Not only will the elephants have to be driven out of thick country in which they have always . ich the, inadequ8cy of the been permitted to roam more or less unmolested, but also they will have to be kept ,uards avallable it is hopeless out, no easy matter, and it is anticipated to achieve the desired result continual pressure ed that the additional staff supported by seasonal intensive operations will be necessary for several years at least. Until it is possible to effect a reduction of hundreds in the huge Budongo herds, hard in teresting as certain events hittin~ on one of the high level Bnnyoro fronts will certainly re-act adversely in ent and last twelve months another direction. hat for some time there ha~ (q) The Bugollla herd must have been definitely increasing for many years, anda :1nd Buruli-Kibanda though it has never yet been responsible for an undue amount of damage. Settlement, ,l,; for a considerable period however, is extending gradually and widely in this area, and elephant and man are soon north of that river to their certain to be in close contact, and more drastic measures of control will be necessary. In common with most of wilder Bunyoro the elephants' haunts of Bugoma are notoriously unpleasant. , "Elephants are definitely It takes the whole time of (d) Finally, the return to the Bagungu for re-settlemenu of a small strip of the Bunyoro Game Reserve (near the Lake Albert littoral), a 'well-known haunt of elephants, baa necessitated an increased measnre of protection for the new settlements nsiderable ditmage to the and their crops. ,uda road and the boundary 76. It is not an easy locality to protect economically, for it is so remote .ery difficult country, itnd that assistance cannot be sent until long after the raiders have departed, yet incursions are not so frequent as to justify the employment of a whole-time guard, The Game 'IV- ardlOn personally investigated the situation at the end of August, and arranged ry in Bugungu necessit;ated for the ejection of two particularly troublesome herds respectively in the 'IV- aiga and Nile regions from which persistent .raiders and groups originated. ose best qualitied to judge roughout the Protectorate 77. Special arrangements were also made for the future protection of the new settlements to enable Game Guards to operate as far as a line, conspicuously marked, ,::e of Bunyoro, jf a definit~ a few miles east of the newly-opened strip.

, ten years reveals that the 78. The numerous cases of extraordinary boldness and indifference to punishment which have been the subject of special comment by tbe Game Ranger are not so never claimed more t;han e~ephants LLthe course of the same ten much a result of tbe having forgotten the severe lessons of the past, but due to a large proportion of new elephants being implicated, raiders which for years the steady increase in the have dwelt peacefully south of the Rafu, where their depredcttions have only recently an ever-growing t;endency her and farther afield. been followed by organised control measures on a large scale. They have returned to Bunyoro mainly ignorant of the punishment which is meted out to the habitual raider. -ly into areas in which for 79. Until elephant numbers are not merely ohecked, but very appreciably r. roam seasonally. This ~ reduced, increasing conflict between man and beast is unavoidable in view of the III elephant numbers and rapidity of pr~ent-day expansion. ;lOn there have undoubtedly of elephants which have 80. Oapt. Salmon has a definite plan of action for tbe period in 1936 when the main elephant herds are accustomed to leave the reserve via Kibanda and Kihukya, for - lSel'Ve (south of the Victoria tbe move on to the Rafu. Its success is dependent on his being able to concentrate esults ~n an ever-increasing sufficient guards not only in the areas tbreatened directly, but also in those into wbich oc III the settled areas. numerous elephants may be driven as a result of sustained, intensive pressure in as seen so much wanton another quarter. He aims at maintaining a constant pressure on the herds which will been so complete that the drive them out of the impenetrable bush and long-grass area III order to make them accessible to attack. h protection is needed, 81. It is interesting to summarise how elepbant control has had to alter its u.- methods to deal effectively with the ever-changing situation, in order to prevent the central. elephants taking charge in Uganda, and still we only just hold our own. ![asindi, Boima, Butiaba ~2. The first ultra-humane effort was to sboot one elephant only out of a maraudlllg herd, and if the herd moved away to let it alone. It was only permissible to shoot a second elephant if the herd was extraordinarily persistent and refused to depart. 14

83. It was at once evident that this method was futile and was no deterrent to raiding, so orders were issued to punish drastically all elephants with which contact could be made after a raid. 84. Too much attention being paid to strictly raiding elephants it was soon ( obvious that in many localities where damage was prevalent elephants were increasina with astonishing rapidity and a campaign for reduction had to be coupled with normal E cultivation protection. I 85. Reduction measures had then to be extended to certain areas in which for r years it had been possible to leave the elephants unmolested, and in two such localities c it WES necessary to inflict a total loss of more than 1,000 elephants, without ­ incidentally showing much of a reduc~ion in numbers. b 86. This intensive hammer business is almost certain to have unpleasant repercussions elsewhere, either immediately or ultimately, but executed expertly and n quickly it is the only method left by which elephants can be ejected from regions h required for other purposes and can be taught an unforgettable lesson and, mos important, an appreciable reduction in numbers which is now imperative can be effected. a 87. The Game Ranger believes that the Bunyoro elephant situation is probably worse now than ever it WD,S, but this is not due to lR,ck of effort on the part of the tl meagre native staff-much reduced from the strength of fonner years-who in 1935 ID destroyed more than 350 elephants, an excess of 100 over the 1934 figure, and 125 more than the ayerage in the last ten years. 18 88. All herds were out of the reserve (Kibanda-Kihukya region) by 7th July, di though when shot at they were quite willing to return, and the situation remained Ir fairly quiet till 20th July when large numbers emerged and showed every indication of of stftying out. Damage to the wimbi crops, which were almost ripe, became serious. Great numbers of elephants renmined in the big patch of long-grass country-much an of which is uninhabited-between the Masindi Port-Masindi-Arua road system. WI 89. At the end of July the raiding of wimbi was almost incessantin many parts of this area, and the elephants were Dot responding satisfactorily to punishment. elE For instance, on 29th July a party of elephants was followed and ten were killed after a bel raid near Matunda: the following night the same garden was again raided and ruined of completely, the marauders making straight for the reserve and neither stopping nor ele deviating in the ten miles for which they were followed. 90. In October, on the occasion when the Ranger lulled the cow with the are ripped trunk (see paragraph 143), the members of his staff who remained with his lorry wh heard the sonnd of his shots in the distance, and an hour afterwards saw a large are number. of extremely agitated cows and young stock hurry across the road. Thirty son minutes later 16 big tuskers emerged and faced the crossing without hesitation; of ( this party was said to include four or five enormous bulls. 91. By the end of October although there were still plenty of elephants about, dan little damage was being caused as most of the wimhi had been harvested, and the herds ann were displaying a tendency to return to the reserve. The Ranger anticipates that with In the withdrawal of the herds into the reserve the situcttion will rapidly improve, and that that next year by working a line of guards from fixed points he will be able to master the elephants. 92. In' addition to the enormous numbers of elephants in the Kibanda­ sud Kihukya region in the latter part of OctobeJ', the majority of which \yere beginning to and move westerly with only small groups inclined to wander in the opposite direction, com there were big herds on the Butiaba fiats, and in the area between the Masindl­ his Kibyanga and Masindi-Hoima roads. 93. In mid-October there were reports of much damage from Iive miles down extr the Masindi-Butiaba road, and it was discovered that a gronp of bulls had returned to country just beyond the township boundary, which had not been bothered by hav elephants within the memory of any European resident. prol 94. In spite of elephants hR,ving taken up their abode in a patch of bad forest and long-grass country-practically untrodden-they were ejected with loss and the remnant followed for two days, so there is unlikely to be a repetition of the visit. This seaE incident seems to indicate the return to their one-time haunts of a group of elephants beel which had been absent from the district for at least a couple of decades. tenI 15

s futile and was no deterrent to \-)5. The country east of Mutanda and along the Nanda river is r:'l,pidly elephants with which contact becoming settled anG the cultivation methods of the Ba-Choepi are not c?nduciv~to successful protection from e~eph.ant. damage. A ne.w VIllage IS bUllt m oJd-tlUJe .Iy Taiding elephants it was soon elephant country, but the cultlvatlOn IS not sItuated WIth the settlement, bemg located alent elephants were increasincr several hundred yards away usually surrounded by tall grass capable of concealing an had to be coupled with normal elephant and without any protecting fence: .At present it is iwpossible to .alter this mode of aariculture, and elephant control If It IS to afford adequate protectIOn must led to certain areas in which for resort to 0 otber methods than those which up to now have been practised with sted, and iu two such localities considerable success. 'l'he Ba-Choepi, although apt to be trying and particul",rly stupid thau 1,000 elephants, without -as guides tbey are hopeless and invariably get lost-are most industrious and should be helped insofar as is possible. st certain to have unpleasant After a few elephants have been killed they are usually so full of meat that they tely, but executed expertly and refrain from bringing in news of further raids; and is very lUuch a case of tryiug to ts can be ejected from regions help them despite thembelves. .nforgettable lesson and most nnperat'i~'e ~an 96. Gldu (includinq Madi).-The same staff as in. 19S4 has been available .h is now be, and one guard has operated in the Acholi region and one in Madi. a elephant situation is probably In the Acholi country the situation has remained normal, and there has been la.ck of effort on the part of the the usual seasonal damage to food crops: the activities of the guard have resulted of fanner years-who in 1935 in 83 elephants being killed. • the 19S4 figure, and 125 more 97. In August, on the Awach river, Capt. Salmon found a big herd which he left alone, as the crops had been harvested and it was better to leave it there than -Kihukya region) by 7th July, disturb and probably drive it into areas in which the crops were still standing. n, and the si tuation remained In southern Gulu he dealt successfully with a small and very troublesome group nd showed every indication of of raiJing bulls. re almost ripe, became serious. 98. In 1936 the Gulu guard is to deal with the northern Acholi zone of long-grass country-much and will also co-operate with the Chua guard. The Minakulu-Kamdini-Aloro area sindi-Arua road system. will then be looked after by the Masindi staff. ~Imost was incessant in many 99. Both in "Vest a,nd East Madi there have been many complaints of g satIsfactorily to punishment. elephant raids and the guard bas destroyed a total of 100 elephants. Assistance has ed and ten were kiUed after a been afforded whenever possible, but one gnard naturally callnot operate both sides was again raided and ruined of the Nile at the same time, so that on occasion especially in East Madi the serve and neither stopping nor elephants have had it all their own way., 100. In June when the grain crops were ripening thePakelli, Zaipi aud Ajumani ger killed the cow with the areas of East Madi suffered particularly severely from the depredations of elephants who remained with his lorry which emerged nightly from their sanctuary in the restricted sleeping sickness 1 hour afterwards saw a laro'e t:> area. It was necessary to follow up these raiders until contact was established and uny .across. the road. Thirty some of their number could be killed. In one locality which supported 2,000 acres rossmg WIthout hesitation; of crops the raids were especially persistent.

:till plenty of elephants about, 101. Lango.-As in 1934, Aloro saza has been t,he scene of a good deal of een harvested, and the herds damage to crops, which star"ted at the end of May, too early to be associated with the Ranger anticipates that with annual trouble, and which continued in varying intensity until the end of the year. uion will rapidly improve and In Moroto and Atura sazas also there has been damage, and it is a disquieting feature ,ints be will be lLble to llJ~ster that not only food crops, but in addition cotton plots, have been attacked. 102. At the end of June and in early July crop-raiding was so serious and of ephants in the Kibanda­ such an extent that Capt. Salmon had to adopt special measures to eject the marauders; y of .which were beginning to and placing a guard at each point of the Aloro-Atura Port triangle kept up a der III the opposite direction, constant pressure on the elephants until the.y cleared off and he had achieved rea between the Masindi- his object. lOS. 1n August the Game Ranger returned to Aloro, but finding the elephants damage from five miles down extremely subdued after his July activities refrained from disturbing them. DTOUp of bulls had returned had not been bothered by 104. The Barr herd, notorious in the past for its aggressIveness, appears to have disappeared into the swamps and no longer constitutes a menace to life and property. Lbode in a patch of bad forest ejected with 108s and the 105. A mildly-disposed herd from S.E. Chua which occasionally in the crop epetition of the visit. This season crossed the Aswa (or Moroto) river and raided parts of Moroto saza has now iltS of a group of elephants been replaced by c1 resident roving bull-group, unlike the Barr herd, with the habitUA>l .e of decades. tendency of running away from the taint of a European as fast and as far as·it can. 16

106. In March-·April, 1929, in the dry weather, the Game Warden encountered this same bull-group on the Aswa river in the vicinity of the Lango-Gulu-Cbua border, and was extremely puzzled by its extraordinary habits, as when once frightened it never stopped running tbe whole day !:Lnd behaved exactly like athorougbly scared herd ·,," which bas been shot at systematically [!>Dd severely. It was composed of a mixture of typical Bunyoro, short heavy-tusked and Sudan long-tusked elephants, entirely bulls, and was known to have a very extensive range. On one occasion part of it had been followed into Lango after two days' hard travelling through Gulu up the Aswa. At that time most of the bulls carried fairly big ivory, and some of tbe aniID!:Lls were extremely old. 107. Investigations over a series of years suggest that these speedway bulls may have an association with a herd which some thirty years ago or more used to frequent the Nile in the neighbourhood of Nimule or further north, which was constantly machine-gunned by the troops who garrisoned the locality. These elephants would never forget. It is possible that some of the nerve-racked survivors are the nucleus of these Lango elephants, and it only needs the sound of a shot or the taint of a European to stimulate their memories with never-to-be·forgotten horrors of the past. 108. Chua.-Chua is another district in which the situation is changing rapidly, and in an area so large it is becoming increasingly apparent that individual effort, and especially discontinuous individual effort, is totally inadequate to deal with elephant depredations which are rapidly attaining serious dimensions. The uninhabited sleeping sickness areas on the lower Pager and Aswa rivers seem to act as foci for the raiding herds, and from them periodical incursions are made easterly into several thickly populated localities in the vicinity of Kitgum. 109. Seasonally tbere has been raiding of ~n extensive n~ture in the region on the maiu road immediately north of Kitgum by elephants from the Sudan, and also to a lesser extent there have been incursions along the eastern border from Karamoja. Not only has there been a marked increase in raiding generally but cotton has been a new object of attack. 1l0. As in previous years the grateful thanks of tbe Department are due to Mohamed Effendi Fadulla who has affordtd valuable assistance and bas always been ready to deal with cultivation raiders when called upon. But the gallant Effendi is no longer in the prime of life, and it is now imperative that the services of a whole time guard are made available for control work in Chua, and the posting of a guard permanently to this district in 1936 has been approved. llI. In August a guard was transferred temporfHily to the district for a couple of months; and in October it was possible to detach a guard to Chua for permanent em ployment, who should afford material relief. 112. West Nile.-The activities of the Game Guards have been concentrated almost entirely in the J unam and Mac!i (not to be confl1sed with West Madi in the extreme north) areas and 112 elephants destroyed as compared with 147 in 1934. This control is proving effective !:Lnd the situation is well in hand. In the Allui region where the raiding tendencies of the herds have been strongly discouragen, the elephan ts can now be moved by natives walking up wind of them, without the necessity for firing a shot. As usual one guard had to be detached to protect cotton in the Rumogi area of Aringa county, and six elephants were shot in this locality.

Eastern Province. 113. B1Isoga and .$udama.-The activities of the elephant herds in the • l!:Lke-shore closed sleeping sickness area call for no comment. 114. Bugishu.-Elephants are reported to be plentiful in the forests of the Sebei region on the north-east slopes of Mt. Elgon, particularly in the neighbourhood of the Suam river. Although uncontrolled they cause little damage. The Mwiyembe herd has not returned since the control activities of March, 1934. In the vicinity of Lake Gedge a licence-holder obtained a bull with 90 lbs. tusks.. 115. Bugwere.--The Mwiyembe elephant berd no longer makes incursions into this district. 17

Game Warden encountered 116. Teso ....:...-Tbere have been no reports of elephant damage. Lango-Gulu-Chua border, 117. Karamoja.-An elephant killed a Native Administration askari near Lake Nhen once frightened it never Gedge early in the year. ke a .thoroughly scared herd s composed of a mixture of In August an elephant with 90 Ibs. tusks W:1S shot by a licence-holder near 'd elephants, en tirely bulls, Kotido. _5ccasion part of it had been Western Provlnoe. ugh Gulu up the Aswa. At some of the anirmLls were 118. Toro.-Affairs in Taro, al wa,y.s the most complex and difficult of all the elephant areas, have reache~ ~ state v~rging on the breakdow.u of organised control, but it is hoped that the addltlO.l;lal staff approved for 1936 Will enable measures for ,t that these speedway bulls protection and reduction once again to be prosecuted vigorously and effectively. years ago or more used to further north, which was 119. This unsatisfactory state of affairs is mainly due to the drastic reduction . e locality. These elephants of Taro native staff in recent years-to a total of two: the reduction was necessary rve-racked survivors are the in the interests of economy but it has proved false economy. From 1924 to 1932 nd of a shot or the taint of a there was a very definite policy attended with considerable success which included the tten horrors of the past. patrolling of district and Game Reserve boundaries and the redl]cti.on of elephants in the area~ of control. . situation is changing rapidly, t that individual effort, and 120. During 1932-1933 organised control efforts were relaxed for the duration uate to deal with elephant of the Taro scheme when certain Europeans under special permit destroyed more th:1n The uninhabited sleeping 400 elephants. rrhe Game Ranger was absent from the district for the greater part ) act as foci for the raiding of 1933 (in 'West Nile) and 1934 (on leave), and all these circumstances have pasterly into several thickly contributed to produce the present unpleasing situation. 121. In addition the Game Ranger is convinced that: "There are more . nsive nature in the region elephants in Taro to-day than in 1902, more than in 19:d4 when elephant control began, ltS from the Sudan, and also and more bulls and ivory as good or better." ern border from Karamoja. .122. Although there are fairly extensive uninhabited areas in Kibale and rally but cot tun has been a S. Kyaka into which elephants might be suitably driven and there left alone, the Game Rangel' with very good reason is opposed to leaving marauding and other the Department are dlle to elephants undisturbed in the centre of the cultivated highlands of Taro. He tance and bas always been emphasises that drastic methods for reduction, and even extermination, of the numerous ut the gallant Effendi is no small herds scattered throughout the Mghlands area is the only remedy, and he would like ,he services of a whole time ·to see as far as possible the Taro elephants confined to the two Game Reserves, and d the posting of a guard those in the north driven into the uninhabited western portion of Buyaga in the Mubende district.

i Y to the district for a couple 123. After many years of being shot at the elephants are definitely more cunning uard to Chua for permanent and after punishment do not stop- running for many miles. Also, visiting elephants . nowadays when chastised are not 60 ready to return whence they came, and at times try to work round and penetrate further inland. 0 nfortunately the ards have been concentrated reserves are mostly open country, while outside there are innumerable areas of dense fused with West JYladi in the vegetation in the heart of settled Taro. The elephants are becoming. more and mpared with 147 in 1934. more prone to withdraw in the daytime to the very thickest cover from which they do 1 hand. In the Allui region not emerge until after dark. strongly discourageil, the wind of them, without the . 124. ,Operating with two guards it is only possible to send help as demanded, and III rotatIOn: by the end of 1935 in addition three promising recruits were being trained. otton in the Rurnogi area of 1'25. Two remarkably big tuskers have been killed, the bigger which had tusks weighing lIlt and 108 Ibs. came from the Congo and entered the Bwamba country near the north-west end of the Ruwenzori range. It was only about two miles inside he elephant herds in the the district when it started to raid cultivation and was promptly speared by It. several of the local natives. Unfortunately the owner of the o'arden died from wounds inflicted by the elephant.' 0 ntiful in the forests of the 1'26. Another big elephant with tusl>s of 861hs. each, also from the Congo, entered mlarly in the neighbourhood across the Lubilia river, south of Ruwenzori, and a guard was quickly on its tracks. Ie damage. It t~rned and charged and was shot. As was only to be expected the incident excited , rol activi ties of March, 1934. conslderg,b~e adv~rse comment, but as some of the big bulls are the worst raiders it is ull with 90 lbs. tusks.. :p.ecessary If effiCI.enu control is the object to destroy on occasion a really big bull. It is better when pOSSible to shoot big bulls like the two just quoted than try and drive them longer makes incursions into back to the Congo, so that they can return to raid the Uganda cultivation another day.

,------.18

127. Complaints from natives in 1935 have been far more numerous than in any previous year up to 1933. Most complaints have come from exposed cultivation near :'elepbant forest and' dense jungle, but they are also widespread. Also, as elsewhere, natives often cultivate at a considerable distance from their huts, and in most localities, their crops are unfenced. There are noti sufficient guards to send one to protect every exposed garden, and in addition there are numerous appeals for assistance against buffaloes, hippopotamuses and lions. 128. It would appear that as in Bunyoro., Bulemezi-Buruli and Lango, the time has come in Toro for the introduction per-iodieally on fixed fronts of intensive operations against the elephants with tbe object of driving them towards the almost uncultivated lowlands around the three lakes. 129. In 1935 a total of 221 elephants, which produced a gross weight of ivory well in excess of 7,000 lbs. were destroyed by the Game R£Lnger, his two guards and the recruits. 130. Near Mohokya, in September, the Ranger saw a devastated garden in whicb two buH elephants had wantonly broken down 100 banana trees and not chewed a single stem. 131. At various times large numbers of elephants entered the northern areas from the Mubende district, and in June and again in August the Ranger drove back herd3, in the Jatter month two lots, to Weir haunts across the Muzizi river. A very big mob in November penetrated as far as the Mukama's country residence at MUkola, a locality which had not been visited by elephants for years. Another big lot was driven back to Buyaga in December.• The fine bull, with 96 lbs. tusks shot by the Mukama's hunter in December, 1934, was a well-known Buyaga elephant. 132. Kigezi.-The situation has remained normal, and no appeals for 2,ssistance have reached Departmental headquarters. Personal enquiries made by the Game Warden in the highland region west of Lake Bunyonyi indica,te that the elephants from the elevated bamboo zone continue to make season£Ll forays at the nOlth end of the lake, but the resulting damage is insignificant. 133. Ankole.-There is not a great deal to chronicle from Ankole, but the replacement of the somewhat inefficient guard of previous years by an expert elephant hunter has undoubtedly relieved the situation considerably, and the tally of elephants destroyed in 1935 is 145, as opposed to 72 in the previous year, and 26 in 1933. In July it was found necessary to transfer temporarily to Ankole the Entebbe district guard to assist against the large number of marauding elephants which bad crossed the border from Masaka. 134. Elephants were particularly destructive in Mitoma., Kashari and Nshara sazas, and to a lesser extent in Igara and Bunyaruguru.

General. 135. Ft;dalities.-A native elephant hunter in the Kigezi district wounded a cow elephant, which he followed. She ca.me out of long grass and caught him, inflicting serious injuries from the results of which he died in hospital at Kabale SOUle six weeks later. The incident oecured in October, 1934, but notification of it was not received till 1935. 136. In June an old woman was killed on the Bulemezi-Buruli border by a cow elephant which had unusual looking tusks. It was an aggressive creature and on the following d£Ly, immediately Capt. Salmon, began dealing with the herd, rushed at him from about 200 yards 8,way, across a bare open grass area, and was killed. 137. Vide paragraph 113 (b) (1934), the man-killing rog'ue mentioned therein was evidently not destroyed for in early Maya solitary traveller to Katera was caught by an elephant Oll a track leading through the Toro forest frOID the Buddu coast and killed. The unfortunate victim must have been taken unawares and though from the tracks of the encounter he endeavoured to escape into the bush he was almost .immediately caught, flung to the ground and his life trampled out of him. 19 ore.numerous th'an in any 13t!. In Bwamba, vide paragraph 130, the owner of a g~rden was killed while exposed cui ti vation near assisting two other natives to spear 'L big bull which was raiding bis crops. . ·ead. Also, as elsewhere, huts, and in most localities 139. Elephant Speared.-In Ankole a nati.ve, single-handed, speared an~ kill~d an elephant which was raiding his potato garden. The elephant was heard at mght III the shamba just outside the man's house. H~ wer:t out Im~edlately Wlt~ hIS spear, every exposed garden, and thrust it into the elephant and .took refuge III hIS h~use tdl next mornlllg. After ~ buffaloes, hippopotamuses followino tbe tracks for a short dIstance after daylIght tile great beast was found IYlllg dea.d. He was suitably rewarded for his exceedingly stont-hearted effort. -Buruli and Lango, the 140. There is a large herd of elephants totalling several hundreds based on the fixed fronts of intensive Bushenya forest in Tanganyika Terxitory north of the Kagera ri"er which seasonally them towards the almost makes forays into Uganda to the'north and north-east. During dry periods th~s herd moves down to the Ka~era a~d may not leaNe a gross weight of ivory for months at a tIme as nappened from September, 1904, tIll March, 1935. ger, his two guards and the From the fortnightly steamer elephants are almost certain to be seen during the dry-weather trips. a devastated garden in 141. Visit to Masindi Town.ship.-On the last Sunday in October an adult bull o.ana trees and not chewed visited Ma.sindi township, and raided a nwhoqo plot on the Masindi Port road owned by Mahomed an ex-Game Guard. The great beast emerged from the plot in the early momino' ~s M ahomed's son passed on a bicycle. The youth at once fell off the cycle and en tered the northern fled, anod the elephant danced angrily round t~e machine s~reaming wildly but luckily _ ugust the Ranger drove without ~oing it any damage. Before 8 a.m. It had been Jailed. ; across the 1YIuzizi river. ama's country residence 142. Sex Ealio.-In connection with remarks made in paragraph 56 (1934), ants for years. Another Mr. F. G. Banks has contributed some interesting comments. He is of the opinion " bull, with 96 lbs. tusks that in the case of elephants there is probably an excess of male over female births. mown Buyaga elephant. In the old poaching clays in the Lado it was only the bulls which were soot, , and no appeals for the licence elephants for the last thirty years or more have been bulls, and control onal enquiries made by annually has exacted a heavier toll from the bulls than from the cows, yet there is myonyi indica.te that the still no lack of bulls. 'e seasonal forays at the In the course 4f control measures aiming at destruction Mr. Banks has taken t. careful note of the sex of all juveniles destroyed, and has invariably found an p.xcess o.f lIe from Ankole, but the young males over females. Lrs by an expert elephant 143. C1l1'ious injury due to fighting.-On 24th October, Oapt. Salmon dealt d the tally of elephants with a fairly large mixed herd which was raiding cultivation near Matunda in Bunyow, year, and 26 in 1933. and killed three of its mem bers. He then followed a detached group, when an unusual kole the Eutebbe district sounding ~cream heralded a thoroughly vicious att,ack which, cowing from his left, hants which had crossed carried a big cow across his front and almost on top of him. On account of the' dense nature of the cover the huge animal was scarcely visible but was killed with a single shot at point-blank range. On examination it was discovered that her trunk had been I ma, Kashari and Nshara almost severed by a tusk which had been driven in aoout two feet from: the tip and then torn upwards leaving a ghastly wound, so severe as to preclude any possibility of it ever being raised again for it remained attached to the head by one-quarter of the top wall only. The wound yvas quite fresh, and on the Ranger returning to the three killed earlier he found that one had had a twelve-inch triangular patch freshly knocked Kigezi district wounded a out of its ear flap, so presumably the trunk injury was the result of an unusually nd caught him, inflicting sanguinary t3ncounter having taken place between two of his victims. Kabale some six weeks ~wimming.- ion of it was not rec9ived . 144. EZ.ephant Vide paragraph 132 (1934), it has been possible to acqUlre further lllformatlOn on the subject of the swimming capabilities of elephants. ezi-Buruli border by a On the 7th February while proceeding by steamer up the Kagera river a small gressive' creature and on cow elephant was observed in the water struggling unsuccessfully to get up a steep with the herd, rushed at bank. The water appeared to be several feet deep and it seemed curious that she did and was killed. not move to easy exits either above or below her. The reason for her lack of enterprise was at once apparent when ~ diminutive calf a few days old was noticed in rogue mentioned therein the w~ter. up-strean; of its dam. This little fellow was treading water snuggling !ler to Katera was caught alongslde Its mother s huge body, with its head reared high out of the water which was 'om the Buddu coast and most certainly too deep for it to stand. res and though from the The wretched cow struggled for about twelve minutes before she acbieved terra bush he was almost firma, and it was most unfortunate that at the psychological moment the boat was not out of him. close enough to see exactJy whe~ and how the youngster was lifted out. 20 ,E 145. Native Tales.-Ankole natives report that they have seen elephants killed by the Qoring beetle and by ligbtning but it is not possible to youch for tbe accuracy of tbeir statements. They say that tbe boring beetle gets into the trunk of tbe animal; tbat panic results; it runs amuck and tben to all intents and purposes commits suicide. In tbis connection instances are known in which elephants bave l been driven nearly demented wben the red safari ants have got inside tbeir trunks.

146. Also in Ankole, it is related tbat elephants are particularly fond of a . 1\ native vegetation called eshogyo (a species of spinach) and tbat cases have been known n:~ll wbere the animal has bad its trunk 'cut off as a result of venturing that limb into a i house wbere the vegetable was being cooked! ' .. mp: 147. Rifies.-The new '404 rifles have now had an extensive trial and tbe 11\: E results achieved generally are more than satisfactory. These rifles being of a slightly fe ~I_,S smaller bore than those which the guards have been previously an;ned, and firing a I bullet with a considerably lower charge, are certain in comparison witb the former armament to invite adverse comment. rfhis was inevitable but tbe new weapons seem to have stood well the practical test of field work. Tbe original foresigbt evolved particularly for strength, was found to he dangerously indistinct in tbe July dull conditions of heavy cover on the dark target offered by an elepbant's hide; fe""~ ( tbis has been corl'Rcted. ag' \e fu. '.~ll In open country the Toro Game Hanger, Mr. Banks, has tested the weapon [ ati\ thoroughly and found it most effective against both elephants and buffaloes. He in~ -r killed three buffalo cows with a bullet each, in three successive shots;" two fell nn::· i' dead where hit at a distance of 105 paces, the third had risen and fallen ten th~:J paces farther away. A recruit in Toro killed eight elephants with nineteen rounds. daIDa: Some Native Administration guard.> armed with tbis '404 rifle have acbieved th'r'-'o excel] en t results against buffaloes. t worke SW?lP

25f.., a

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• j I number 10ngfU,n, the. -)t infra"vrt III the direc'#lr 21 e seen elephants killed ,,,sible to ,vouch for the SECTION III.-NOTES ON THE FAUNA. : gets into the trunk of II intents and purposes (A) MAMMALS. which elephants have

J inside their trunks. (i) Primates. , particularly fond of a 148. GOTilla.-There is nothing to add to the comprehensive notes recorded lases have been known in previous Reports. _ting that limb into a . 119. Chimpanzee.-Ac,cording to various prospectors this ape is plentiful in • many parts of the Kalinzu forest i~ w~stern Anko~e. In. the Budongo.Iorest its, local movements are influenced by the npemng of certam specles of wlld frUlts on whiCh It \:tensive trial and the feeds, the fruit of the Jnuzizi tree evidently being a fa.vourite. les being of a slightly ;ly anp.ed, and firing a 150. Govern.or's Permits to kill or capture five chimpanzees at a fee of £5 per )~,rison with the former chimpanzee, have been granted during 1935. but the new weapons 151. Baboon.-In Bunyoro baboons have been particularly troublesome, and in The original foresight July and early August five native child~en were attacked and badly bi~ten within a JUsly indistinct in the few days of each other: two of t~em dled. .A large hunt was ol'i~alllsed and t.he l)y an elephant's hide; aggres'3in troop concerned extermmated.~hls enc~uraged the Chlefs to orgal1lse further hunts and several hundreds were kdled dunng the next few months. The has tested the weapon Native Government has now commenced methodical and organised communal hunts ~ts and buffa'!oes. He in order to deal with this pest. The abatement of the nuisance rests mainly with the ssive shots;4 two fell natives t~emselves, and if they will only co-operate and continue the organised effort risen and fall en ten they have started and found so successful, their cultivation will soon be free from with nineteen rounds. dama,ge. To assist local effort, especially when the ba:boons t~ke to t~e tree-tops in 4 rifle have achieved the forest, several '303 rifles have been loaned to the NfLtll'e AdmmlstratlOn. 152. It is claimed in certain cases of attacks on children th~tt the baboons worked in concert and while some enticed the women away from the huts others swooped down on a child and tried to carry it off. 153. In Bunyoro native effort accounted for 830, and the 10ca,1 planters 256, a vast improvement on the 1934 figures which were respectively 467 and 57. 154. Thanks are due particularly to Mr. Me. N. Davis of Dwoli for his appreciated assistan(;e: he has destroyed mbre than 200 baboons and earned the well-merited gratitude, publicly expressed, of the Mukama. 155. Teso is the only other district in which the depredations of baboons -in the Kagwara peninsula of Kasdo county-ilave been sufficiently serious to invite comment: control measures in the worst-afflicted parts of Ankole continue but are not highly successful as there is little local co-operation. 156. There are several places along the Kagera river where quantities of baboons spend the night on ledges along the high banks. Here they are secure from interference both from above and below. 157. Blue Monkey.-An unusual complaint from the Seboi reo'ion of Bugishu accuses the blue monkey-a forest species-of causing extensive °damage to banana and maize crops. As far as is known, this species has not previously played the role of shamba-raider. . 158. V!lzite-nosed, Red-tailed MOl/key (CeTcopitheclls ascanius schmidtL).- Bltter complamts about the depredations of this destructive species continue to be made by the Buvuma islanders, who are emphatic that this pest is increasing rapidly. .• . 159. Oercopithecus l'hoesti l'hoesti Scla~er.-:Vide the remarks in paragraph 145 (.1.933), and paragraph 142 (1934), the umdentlfied species of monkey of the Kayonsa forest of vVestern .Krgezl turns out to be the above. • It belongs acc?rding t,o ~c.hwarz to: "a natural group characterised by a number of chara?ters Ill: the co~dltlOn. of the fur, markings aDd skull. I'he,Y are long and soft-han~d ammals, wlth bany noses and long conspicuous hairs below ~he root. of the tall, extendm~ consldera?ly .down ~he tail itself. There are pale :nfra-orbltal ~arks on the face, the underslde lS blackish, the tail silvery grey"; and, l~ th~ nommate race the throat-patch shows a tendency to ex:tend in the dlrectlOn of the sternum. 160. Black and Whde Colobus.-Jn the 1933 Annual Report, paragraph 258, CrE .il , a colobus fatality is $entioned, and a possible explanation offered. A reference found wa Jl recently on the habits of the black and white colobus indicates that when abOVE frightened, such as beina fired at, this creature will let go of the tree in which it is and fall like a plummet~3.nd then fifty to sixty feet lower seize a limb and disappear ell: "Ii amongst the branches with its usual agility. A reliable observer who at his first ana t experience thought the colobus had fallen from fright had to alter his idea after noW I witnessing on several subsequent occasions \yhat is aptly described as "this sheer en'!'1j let-go-all-holds drop" and which is evidently characteristic of the colobus and its U§ :}, mode of progression. Taking such risks it seems inevitable that from time to time l there is an accident. ) th€~....:) : 161. Potto.-Several specimens of this quaint little slow lemur have been an'; h caught alive during the year both in the Budongo forest and the Kyagwe forests. It is th~_ .: reported, however, that few of them survived many days in captivity. These little the 1 creatures are apt to biLe savagely when handled, and as their skulls are very fragile spE'.qn I it is quite likely that they get injured inadvertently by ijhe captors, for normally it is a species which thrives in (;aptivity. than' (ii) Carnivora. thoug] frel~r 16'2. Lion.-The lion can always be expected to provide a number of entertaining episodes worth recording, though 1935 has been more free of incident than most years. or leo] thc,":.sJ In AnkoJe a man-eat.ing lion was killed by the Game Guard at Nyakavoza 163. zoe. about five miles from Mbaram. '1'here were also the usual attacks on stock in Kazhara, ane.:. tl­ Kashari and Ruampara sazas. Dcienti I 164. In the Masaka disLrict as in recent years the lion has occas'ionally been hu~r troublesome. In January, in the Musale of Buddu, three natives armed with spears diff~ 11 killed three lions which had been raiding goats and dogs, and wounded a fourth. In February, in the Sabawali of Mawogola, a youth of seventeen speared and killed a lion very ki • o.::.~ which he mw carrying off a dog. WIt, s. 165. In July, in the Sabadu of Buddu, two men speared and killed a lion, but unfortunately were badly mauled in the c~)Urse of the conflict. twetlve mu~i 166. J..Jions, in Gulu, have caused a certain amount of damage amongst stock, L ·1 but there have been fewer complaints than in recent years. In the well-stocked game caul It localities in the neighbourhood of Amar and the Aiyuge river hons are evidently , plentiful. days~a( , 167. In Teso, the Amuria lions have given little trouble, though ill October a .f- 2 Chief was slightly mauled in Kuju gombolola when attempting to deal with a lion an ~lim which had killed cattle. Karamc 168. In Karamoja, the Karasuk of the Chemorongi Hills have reported several to t'--:;;) a 1 casualties due to attacks by lions. \_ J . 169. Sightseers on their way to Butiaba en 1'oute to the Murchison Falls had by an ir a preliminary thrill when several lions were encountered after dark on the road at the -;; I top of the escarpment above Bukliini. The lions were most accomodating and waited bon(. fr ,I I to show themselves off to a second car which was some distance behind. WOUL1clS 170. J~ions are still fairly plentiful in the Bugerere saza of Nl engo district. is most conL~tI.. 171. Complaints were investigated of cattle-killing by lions in the inhabited 1 area of the Semliki valley in the Toro district, where it was claimed that about 40 head of cattle are killed annually. But the local Gombolola Chief reported that no cattle ther. had been killed since the raids in October, 1934, to which reference is made in j lto paragraph 152 (1934). Twice during the year a guard was detailed for ~wo months to protect cattie "H:~CPl at Rwebisengo in the Semliki valley. gras~ ,""~ty 172. Mu'u ntain Lio1l.-Considerable interest hall been aroused during the past ( eighteen months by the claim that there exists at the higher elevations on the Aberdere [ e f I leop& Mountains in Kenya Colony a hitherto undescribed species or race ·oflion which Ret can be distinguished from the normal type by its smaller size and spotted coat. It is a 1 ·'23 nual Report, paragraph '258, creature of the high altitudes only, and whereas the normal plains lion not infrequently ,offered. A reference found wanders as high as 10,000 feet, it is claimed that the mountain lion dwells at and lobus indicates that when above· this elevation and does not descend lower. go of the tree in ·which it 173. The account of the first quest-a properly organised expedition-for this seize a limb and disappear elusive beast appeared in The Field and was written moderately and modestly, observer who at his first and there appears to be good reason for believing in its existence. The quest has "had to. alter his idea after now extended further, and Mr. K. Gandar Dower who is promoting the search, has ;Iy described as "this sheer enquired whether there is any possibility of such a creature being found ')n the 3tic of the colobus and its Uganda mountains. ble that from time to time 174. With the exception of the Birunga Mountains constant enquiry in the Mount Elgon and Ruwenzori regions of the Protectorate has failed to elicit L~le slow lemur have been anything out, of the ordinary, ~nd where there is strange.beast either actual or legendary 1 the Kyag\ve forests. It is there will certainly be a natIve name. The normal hon wanders ·up NIt. Elgon to -"0 in captivity. These little the 10,000 feet level at least, u,nd Mr. G. W. Foster shot a superb black-maned their skull s are very fragile specimen high up .this mountain in 1930, vide paragrapl:i 1'29 (1930). 'he captors, for normally it 175. On the Ruwenzori range it is unusual for lions to roam much higher than 7,000 or 8,000 feet possibly on account of the well-stocked plains below, though bush pig aud giant forest hog are at certain elevations abundant, and range freely as high as 13,000 feet. to provide a number of leen more free of incident 176. From the Birunga mountains, however, there are rumours of a lion or leopard differing from the normal, but the evidence obtained so far is interesting though inconclusive. Undoubtedly lions frequent the neighbourhood of the bamboo Game Guard at Nyakavoza zone, the highland bogs and the 10,000 feet level of Mts. Mgahinga and Sabinio ttacks on stock in l(s,zhara, and their adjacent saddles, and they are ~f small size, but as this region has been scientifically investigated on several occasions and the half-pygmy Batwa are expert lion has occas'ionally been hunters and know intimately all the wild creatures of the mountain forests, it is natives armed with spears difficult to credit that an undescribed form of liWJ, could still exist there undetected. wounded a fourth. In to. 177. 001. Hoier, Oonservateur, Parc National Albert, Rutchuru, has also speared and killed a lion :ro. very kindly made enquiries on my behalf in the Belgian regions of these monntains, with similar incanclusi ve results. red and killed a lien, but 178. Leopard.-If the lion has not quite come up to expectations during the past l.OG. twelilve months the leopard has made full amends for its royal cousin, and has been very "f damage amongst stock, much in the limelight with a tally of three Europeans seriously injured and another In the well-stocked game .caught but providentially emerging from the fracas unscathed. . river lions are evidently 179. In March a leopard which had killed nine sheep III the course of several days at the Busingiro hotel in Bunyoro was speared by a native herdsman. luble, though in October a lpting to deal with a lion 180. As usual many have been trapped or speared in the Bugishu district: an unusual large example measuring nine feet two inches was killed fu Sebei. In Karamoja tbe Karasuk of the Ohemorongi hills have reported several casualties due Uills have reported several to the attacks of leopards. .181.. Mr. G. W. Fo~ter, an Honorary Game Ranger, was badly mauled in April to theMurchison Falls had by an lllfunated leopard whlCb escaped from a trap and attacked him. ~r dark on the road at the He was bitten in the thigh, and a hand and wrist lacerated and some of t,ne accomodating and waited Je behind. bones fractured. The la.tter injuries proved troublesome as frequent dressing of the ~ounds gave the bon~s bttle .chance of mending. Under the circumstances Mr. Foster aza of Mengo district. IS most f~rtunate In havmg got off relatively lightly, and it is a matter for congratulatIOn that he IS not permanently disabled. y lions in the inhabited - aimed that about 40 head 18'2. His own account of the incident is as follows :- ef reported that no cattle ."The truth. of the leopard show is this: A native (a Teso) came to roe and said inb reference is made in there IS .a leopard LD a trap, would I go and shoot it. I loaded my ·256 and slipped my ·38 automatIc mto my nght hand pocket. . "Went in my car about a mile-and-a-half from my house and got out, followed the .llonths to protect cattle lecpar~ about eIghty yard.s off the road when the Teso said, 'it is there by that anthill in the grass. There were about forty Teso standinG" in a semi-circle round the anthill and some fifty yards from it. to aroused during the past "I had no man of my own with me and went slowly up to the long grass at the base of evationson the Aberdere {he~anth,ll. . The grass here had been beaten down with the force of wind and rain and the es or race ·of lion which eopard wa;s hIdden under~eath. I~. One man came to the start of this long grass with me. lind spotted coat. It is it Re then pICked up a spear whICh had been thto'wn at the leopard before my arrival and of 24

which I was not told. Having recovered his spear he retired to join his friends about fifty yards off. Nothing happened and I got a bit suspicious so moved the automatic from my pocket to my belt where it would be more convenient. It was loaded with seven rounds but hRd no round in the chamber. I went about four steps farther and suddenly from about three feet and without a sound the leopard shot from under a bunch of beaten down grass on to my leg and started chewing. I had a snap shot at it as it came and missed. I had a second shot vvith my rifle while it was chewing and then thr.ew my rifle down. I stepped back from the leopard but flS he was stiH hard at it on my leg I tripped up and sat down. "He then made for my face. I put IIp my left hand to protect my face and while falling got out my automatic. I had to pull back the metal jacket of the automahc while the leopard was chewing at my left wrist. This I did by putting the jacket in the left hand and working the pistol with my right. Once the pistol was ready that leopard dropped off full up with six bullets. 'The fifty odd Teso were not having any of 'Mr. Leopard' and just stoorl where they were and watched. Hugh told me afterwards that the leopard had a steel rabbit trap on one hind leg and a spear wound through the fleshy part uf one hind leg so was in the correct and propel' temper when I arrived. It was a male verging on full grown." 183. Mr. S. F. Gray of the Kenya and Uganda Railways and Hn,rbburs, Marine Department, also gut hadly mixed up with a wounded leopard near the Kagera river and was severely m'auled as a result of which he spent many weeks in Kampala Hospital during the slow process of healing. 184. Not long afterwards in the same neighbourhood Lieut. the BOll F. R. Clegg-Hill (4th King's African Rifles) and his askari orderly were both injured by a leopard the former had wounded, \vhich sprang upon them unawares. Luckily the officer was able to drive his car 46 miles to the nearest mining settlement at Kika,g~ti where his \vounds were tended. Thence he was taken to Mbarara another 50 miles to be patched up further, and 'so on to K~1mpala (another 180 miles). Both he and his orderly made a speedy recovery, but they can both be considered singularly fortunate in successfully avoiding serious septic infection of their wounds after the primary delay in attention. I. 185. When hunting dangerous animals one should always have ready at hand the necessary antiseptics and apphances in C8,se of some untoward happening, and it is no exaggeration to stLLte that ml1ny lives have been needlessly lost through the non­ observance of what is an elementary commonsense precaution. 186. Finally, at the end of the year, Commander R. D. Hoskins, the M~rine Commander at Butiaba, had a brief wrestling bout with a leopard on the scrub-covered s~wd-spit close to his office, and was extremely lucky to get out of the encounter unscarred, the only patching he required being on his pants. . 187. Three leopards, a family party, had taken up their abode on the tiny spit and were l'avaging the local flocks. One was soon killed, and it was in the course of the second attempt to get rid of the marauders that the gallant Commander was able to appreciu,te th~ unexpectedness of a leopard's n,ttack. 188. Cheetah.-From the numbers of juveniles found during March the cheetn,h appears to be fairly plentiful in parts of Chua and Gulu. 189. Spotted Hyena.--About April an old Turkana woman was dragged from her hut near Moroto and devoured by a giant hyena. On 18th October at Kakwanga in the Langia Hills a giant hyena killed and ate a seven-year-old boy who was sleeping out in the thorn-scrub. /-- 190. First-hand evidence has been obtained that the hyena will on ocdasion unearth and eat crocodiles' eggs. 191. Early in the ye'ar a pack of marauding hyenas on the out~kirts of :For.t Portal created havoc amongst an I:!~uropean-ownedflock of sheep, six of which were killed­ including a fine Romney Marsh 1'3,m. The marauders broke into the pen in spite of its being strongly constructed of mud and wattle reinforced with large stones. The first attempt to deal with the hyenas failed, but subsequently three were seen and one was speared. 192. Hunting (lVild) Dog.-There have as usual been a, few widely-separated reports of the occurrence of this destructive species, and small parties have been seen in Ankole, i_o the Lake George Game Reserve near 1Ylohokya and Katwe, on the Lake Albert escarpment near Bukumi camp, and in Bugerere (E. Mengo). 25 Din his friends about d the automatic from 193. In Ankole hunting dogs have been seen on various occasions on the led with seven rounds Mbarara-Masaka road. " j suddenly from 'about of beaten down grass 194, Jackal.-In West Suk where dik-dik are exceptionally plentiful, one evening and missed. I had a a jackal trotted down the road in front of a car carrying a dik-dik in its mouth. rifle down. I stepped ~of d up and sat down. 195. Ratel or Honey Badger.-The distribution this species, and its ct my fa-ee and while depredations to beebives, are fully discussed in paragraphs 357-365. Ie automatic while the 196. In Luoanda and Lunyankole respectively tbis creatnre is known as ntaulira t in the left hand and lTd dropped off full up and entahurura both of which mean" It doesn't hear" (or the thing whicb doesn't hear), probably derived from the fact tuat natUl'~ in deference to tbis ~nimal's cu~ious taste bas just stood where they not only provided it witb hIde of such a thICkness tbat no bee-stlllg can pOSSIbly penetrate, steel rabbit trap on but also has reduced it practically to an ea.rless st:tte. so was in the correct L. " 197. Reference the remarb in paragraph 165 (1934) it now transpires that the honey badDer does occur. in Kigezi as Mr. rr. Chorley of the Agricultu~a] tnd Harbours, Marine Department ha~, after extensive enquiry, been successful in procuring a Rkin of ~ar the Rag-era river' this creature at ltubanda. y weeks in ~ Kampal He believes that this is the beast "responsible in Ankole, Buruli, Bugerere and other places where beehives are broken into and the brood eaten." He took 1 Lieut. the Ron the sbn round with him to show the beekeepers in various sazas in the course ly were both injured' of his demonstrations in bee-keeping. I unawares. Luckil It is curious that the local populace should know so little about a creature :nining settlementat' which is capable of doing so much damage to their property. 198. Otter.--Vide paragmph 426. In the course of experimental netting in tcbed up furtber, an Lake Bunyonyi numerous otters were unfortunately llestroyed. rdedy made a speedy; successfully avoidin 199. 'I;he local natives on Lake Bunyonyi spend most of their week-ends attention. (in the afternoons) otter bunting. 'When eight to a dozen dug-outs co-operate it is a noisy business but rather picturesque. ;The otter usually escapes. have ready at han happening, and it i The otter spear is six to seven feet in length with a stout but slender 08t tbrougb the non- wooden shaft: it is made entirely of wood and the four prongs are set forwa.rd and sFghtly outward (in a square) from the end of the shaft.

Hoskins, the JYIirin 200. A further examination of stomach content,s indicates that the Bunyonyi on the scrub-covere otter still feeds almost exclusively on the deepwater frog (01' plathandeT). out of the encounte 201. The African Palm Civet (Nandinia binotuta arborea Heller.)-Owing to unfortunate confusion of identity this species was referred to as the Greater Genet.-Geneta victoriae in paragraph 159 of the 1933 Report. lode on the tiny spi was in the course 0 . 202. W~tite-tailed Mongoose.-Viele paragraph 166 (1934), it has been ascer- >mmander was able t tamed that dunng 1934 and up to the end of March, 1935, a bull terrier and two smaller companions had accounted for a known total (thflre were pr'obably others) of 45 white-tailed mongooses within the limits of Entebbe township. I 203. Civet Cat.-It is probably not genemlly realised that the civet cat, all omnivorous species, is one of the most persistent raiders of tbe native's "mealie" til was dragged fro shambas. lctober at Kakwang (III) UngUlates. )oy who was sleepin:' . 204. Buftalo.-The buffalo uudoubtedly is the villain of the piece in the wild hfe pageant of Uganda. With rare exceptions it is plentiful, often overwhelmingly ena will on occasio abundant, and increfl,sing rapidly in all districts. 205..I? flIlite of every encouragement to would-be buffalo hunters the response is he outskirts of For so P?or that It IS difficult to know what special reductive mefl,sures are likely to have any :of which were kille lastlDg effect on the hordes of this awe-inspiring, and often dangerous, species. 206. There has been no rinderpest in the main buffalo areas so that the )ngly constructed 0­ ~er~s have been able to increase free from the heavy loss which this disease usually leal with the hyena mfhcts. . 207. Complaints of genuine damage, as well as those prompted by fear, have 'ew widely-separate mcreased enormously, and an unpleasant aspect of buffalo IDfl.rauding nowadays is "ties have been see the frequency with which cotton plots are damaged. htwe, on the Law 2.08. C~iefs though owning rifles often prefer to write for assistance rather than I. take actIOn agalDst destructive buffaloes: they can scarcely be blamed. 26

209. More than 600 buffaloes were destroyed during 1935. This may sound a formidable total, but if the number had been 6,000 it might have made a slight impression on the vast herds which are alm08t everywhere, and which the first-named figure has not done. 210. The Bunyoro report is typical of the situation in most districts, the buffaloes being an nmniti~tednuisance besides having increased fmorrnously. During the dry season they are a constant source of trouble owing to their babit of taking possession of watel'holes and denying the local natives access to them. Assistance is given whenever possible and the local inhabitants are encouraged to deal with these pests themselves. 211. In Toro complaints have Qoen abnormally numerous. The complainants pay DO consideration as to whether a rifle, in the area complained about, has the least hope of success or is even likely to be of any use. The Taro buffalo lairs are mainly swamps of ba,mboo-like reeds twenty feet high or ten feet elephant grass or forest. In them bl1f[~loos lie up during the day and emerge to gnl,7;e at night, and it is quite out of the question to utilise the services of the highly-trained elephant guards, or in fact any hunters, in these types of country. In many parts of the 'roro highlands a rifle can be of little use, anc1 unfenced cultivation is an easy booty to ma,rauding animals which are mainly nocturnal gn),zers. 212. There qre evidently several bulls with magnificent heads amongst the herds which frequent the Lake George Game Resorve. Some of these herds are accustomed to feed most nights OIl the west side (open to shooting) of the Fort Portal-Katwe road, but the sportsman desirous of obtaining a record trophy will have to be up hright and early as the buffaloes are usm1l1y back in their sanctuary shortly after dawn. The Game Ranger CaTtle across one of these herch, reckoned to consist of about 100 anirnals, early one morning anclshot a, couple of bulls, with the smallest heads, out of a truculent bunch of five. After the first ha,d been killed the herd did not attempt to move, nor did it when the second fe,ll, and only condescended to return to the reserve some minutes later. Both eads exceeded an outside width of 40 incbes, the larger being 43-2 inches, and the Ranger is convinced that more than one of the bulls he saw carried heads of over 50 inches, truly superb trophies.

213. In Teso, buffaloes a,re l1Ctually "extremely scarce": on Mt. Elgon, ill Bugishu, they are plentiful, and their traces are frequently found in the crater at an altitude of 14,000 feet. 214. On Buvuma Island (Victoria Nyanza) trypanosomiasis is prevalent amongst the island cattle and it has been suggested tbat the extermination of the buffaloes on this island would have beneficial results. To exterminate these buffaloes, of which there are said to be 150-'200 on the main island, is easier said than done, and tbe herds are too Widespread to attempt to confine them to specified localities, in fact tbe island is pretty well over-run. '215. rrhe District Commissioner who investigated the situation in the latter part of the year could obtain no useful information in regard to the numbers of tbe herds, but . he ascertained that there are .no seasonal movements. '11he natives state that tbe buffaloes cross from Bunya in Busoga to Buluta on Buvuma, but only one man could be found who had actually seen buffaloes crossing. 216. On 15th November rinderpest broke out amongst cattle at Laropi in West Ma,di on the Sudan border. The origin of this outbreak was traced to buffalo, two buffaloes having beel} found dead between Dunlo Old Fort and Ilingwa Hill. A third buffalo was found dead half-way between Larapi an(l Dufile on '27th Novembel' in close proximity to the kraal v"bere the disease started amongst the cattle. 217. During August wllile following elepha,nts in Taro Mr. Banks, the Game Ranger, fell into a buffalo pit, luckily with no more serious result than a badly bruised shoulder. '218. Mr. W. J. Eggeling, Assistant Conservator of Forests, had an alarming experience in Bnnyoro on 6th September, after dark on the main rOl1d (Butiaba­ Masindi). While proceeding to Mururongo, in the Budongo forest region, a buffalo charged his car sticking its head through the side windows. It comp)etely wrecked a head­ lamp and one wing, made a big dent in the bonnet and damaged the steering. 27

1935. This may sound a Though covered with brok.en glass Eggeling escaped injury: naturally he did y Mr. :light have made a slight not stop to enquire what had happened to the buffalo! te, and which the first-named 219. Red Duiker.-Mr. F. G. Banks obtained the skin of a fine red duiker brought in by natives from the Kabale forest. So far there has been little material available . on in most districts, the of the Taro red duiker for scientific investigation. Unfortunately the skin was 30 nc 'teased enormously. During hours old and undried, in rainy weather. The horns are particularly heavy peing Dl,ijO" to their habit of takina approximately H inches long, and 3·:} inches in circumference. ')f s to them. Assistanc~ i~ sta lraged to deal witb these 220. Uganda Kob.-The Uganda kob is now abundant in the Amar region ltb t of Gulu east of the sleeping sickness restricted area, which possibly accounbs for the prevaledce of lions in the same locality. us. The complainants pay 221. On the Lake Albert fiats between Tonya and Kaiso, as well as in the Ian bout, has the least hope of restricted sleeping sickness area south of the Howa river this handsome speCIes IS •h J irs are mainly swamps of amp~ grass or forest. In them particularly plentiful. n and it is quite out of the 222. Roan Antelope.-In amplification of the remarks in paragraph 184 (1934) it : of .nt guards, or in fact any is most satisfactory to record that in Ankole the roan antelope is not only increasing but act VIO highlands a rifle can be of is steadily extending its range and returning to localities from which it had been driven ~n bearauding animals which are many years ago, i.e., probably during the war. lch 223. In the Masaka district, the extreme southern portion of Koki is seasonally t heads amongst the herds visite~ by small parties from Tanganyika. heI'~ e these herds are accustomed 2'24. This species is plentiful and evidently on the increase in parts of Gulu, tom Fort Portal-Katwe road, Chua, Lango and Karamoja. e 1'0 ve to be up bright and early d r ea, after dawn. The Game 2'25. There is still a herd in Sebei, N.E. Bugishu, but its size is not definitely jGa,rn .abou t 100 animals, early one known. In No':em bel' a rogue bull freguented a portioD of an European-owned stock farm yo. of a truculent bunch of near the Suam river and was not only a nuisance but a definite menace to human life. ch move, nor did it when the Several natives were chased up trees by this aggressive beast, and on one occasion a nt _. me minutes later. Both native who had just reached the safety of his hut in time was terrified to find the angry ~ot l' being 43~ inches, and the creature charging the wall again and again va,inly endeavouring to batter it down . . cbl'! ; carried heads of over 50 r 5 226. Vide paragraph 172 (1933), it is interesting to record that the herd which crossed the Nile from East to vVest Madi has been observed during 1935 at Lauferri on Mt. Elgon, m the left bank of the ri vel' on which side it evidently intends to remain. the crater at 2'2.7. Bushbuck.-Marauding bushbucks are as plentiful as ever in the vicinity of the forestry station at Kityerera in Busoga and more than 100 have been destroyed. • ,nosomiasis is prevalent Otherwise there is nothing of interest to record concerning this species. It tbe extermination of the 228. Lesser Kudll.-In early January in West Suk, a fine male was seen 1 - To exterminate these about mid-day while motoring along the military road to Turkana about fifteen ain island, is easier sai miles north of Kacheliba. 'fhat evening just before dusk another male with a big iN pt to confine them to head was observed by the roadside within a few miles of the same place. Both -run. these animals were extraordinarily bold and fearless and stood unconcernedly d the si tuation in the watching the car until it was witbin a few paces of tbem. in regard to the numbers 229. ]n northern Karamoja it is common. 'l'here are a few in north­ seasonal movements. The eastem Chua whiQh seasonally have a tendency to stray westwards. BOo-a to Buluta on Buvuma, ffaloes crossing. 230. Eland:-In spite of .t{ne w.astage mentioned in para.graphs 191-192 (19:34) tbls fine specIes seems to be lOcreasmg steadily in most parts of the Protectorate 1 'vngst cattle at Laropi in in which it still occurs. in tbreak was tmced to buffalo, Fort and Ilingwa Hill. During the year in one locality a herd of 150 animals-mainly cows and jl1veniles­ ufile on 27 th November was observed. ongst tbe cattle. . 231. TY'aterbuck.-In many Iocalities th e waterbuck is evidently an increasing T ro Mr. Banks, the Game speCles, .and 10 sOI?e It IS a confirmed crop-raider. In the Lake George Game .ous result than a badl.y Reserve It IS plentIful, and num.bers can always be seen from tbe adjacent motor road. It bas been suggested that m a few districts it miO'bt be advisable to increase tbe numbe~' permitted to be killed on a Full and Fourt~en-day licence, but with a e of Forests, bad an alarming few exceptIOns the general concensus of opinion is that an increase is neitber e main road (Butiaba- necessary lior yet desirable. f~w e80 region, a buffalo charged . .232. Impala.-The reports received about this graceful species indicates that It IS undoubtedly increasmg in the various localities it frequents in the Masaka I- :ompletely wrecked a head­ and Ankole districts. d damaged the steering. ------~. -- - .

28

'a: , 233. In the neighbourhoGd of Kagera Port road (though mainly across the 1e bord81' in Tanganyika) it is abundant, and in spite of the frequency of llJotor traffic ti fearless herds are usually to be seen by the roa,dside. t- 234. Jackson's Hartebeest.-Very fine trophies of Jackson's race of the lelwel ( hartebeest can be obtained in Chua and Karamoja. Early in the year two males shot at 1 /. a randorp from a herd in N. Karamoja were found to have heads measuring respectively 24l inches and nearly 26 inches. 235. This species is very plentiful on the Lake Albert flats in the restri.cted P sleeping sickness area near Kai.so, south of the Howa river. It is also widely-distributed Ji and by no means uncommon in parts of Bulemezi and Buruli (Buganda), and on the flats Lt\ either side of the Kafu river. , g a 236. Antelopfs.-In parts of certain districts the amelopes are definitely r. increasing. n 237. Bush Pig.-There is unfortunately no a'batement in the widespread damage to cultivation caused by this pest, which is increasing everywhere. In the b dense, short-cover regions in Igara and Buhwezu, in western Ankole, the bush pig is not Qn:y preventing the extension of settlement, but is gradually driving out the human \1 population. 'j{ 238. In Bunyoro the Native Government has been forced to introduce methodical and organised hunts to deal with bush pig. e 239. At the end of the year a '303 rifle was loaned to assist in dealing with 1~ wild pig, waterbuck and other destructive Mtelopes in the densely settled areas of KasiJo D a and Serere in eastern Teso. 240. NIl'. D. N. Stafford who is indefatigable in his efforts to wage a successful '1 war against predatory baboons, bush pig and other wild bea"ts, has designed a very 0 8uccessfu pig noose ou t of stont wire. II 1 241. The difficultj was to find a type of wire sufficiently strong to hold a pig once caught, and yet quick enough in action to entrap the beast before it. could ..~'. If free itself. It is inexpensive to construct and is claimed to be most effective. l- 24'2. Two half-grown bush pig which fell into the same pit in Toro made such a tenifying noise that no one dared to go near to investigate and the local natives t reported that a lion and a pig had fallen into a pit. The Game Ranger was sent lJ for to deal with this desperate situation. His remarks on the incident do not bear repetition, though he did score to the extent of a tender leg of pork! 243. Bippopotamus.-Events of the year tend to confirm, as indicated in r paragraph 209 (1934), that the hippopotamus is one of the species which is on the increase, and complaints of its evil doings are Widespread and loud. 244. In early January at the request of the Township Authority it was unfortunately necessary to destroy four of the hippopotamuses frequenting Entebbe e bay in the vicinity of tbe Botanic Gardens. The rest of the herd disappeared, but in the middle of April it ll"as noticed that two had returned: subsequently five were seen. In this connection> see paragraph 218 (1934). 245. On 19th April, in bros,d daylight at five o'clock in the evening, a half· grown hippopotamus was observed grazing on top of one of the rocky islets in 'Entebbe bay. 246. A marauding hippopotamus, not fully adult, was killed in the vicinity of the Prison gardens at Entebbe, in early October, and another destroyed at Bugonga landing on the tenth of the same month. At Buku landing, Entebbe peninsula, a raiding cow was killed on 4th August. Others were killed in the Entebbe neighbourhood 0' later in the year. h 247. Extensive damage has been reported throughout the year in the Entebbe district, particularly from the saz~ of Busiro and Mawokota. Eighty-seven raiders have been destroyed by the locally-employed temporary hunters, and eight by the game guards: but these animals are just as plentiful as ever along the Victoria Nyanza coast, in Lake Wamala, and in the Katonga and other rivers.

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i '29

·though mainly across the 248. Two '470 double-barrelled rifles have been lent to the Saza Ohief of the frequency of wotor traffic Sese Islands for anti-hippopotamus operations. 249. A recently born hippopotamus was caught at Bukakata in early April. rackson's race of the lei wei Unfortunately it did not survive. Its weight was between 60 and 60 lbs., which seems the year two males shot at somewhat under·sized, !1nd the body length about 3 feet 6 inches. "Except for a patch eads measuring respectively of pink on the sides of the face, and another under the front legs, the colour. was universally black-brown, in fact there ,vas notl~ing like as much pin~ abou~ it as on ~he lbert flats in the restricted averaoe mature hippo. The feet were peculiar, the toe-nalls beIng qUlte soft, with ![t is also widely-distributed coal's; hairs on the e\ld ; despite this the little animal walked quite well on grass." di (Buganda), and on the flats :250. In the Victoria Nyanza coastal region (mainland) natives who complain of lack of assistanc~ have been urged to resort to their old, and often very effective, methods of trapping by digging pits. antelopes are definitely 251. From the Mengo district, two cases have been reported of canoes being upset by a hippopotamus, one ,of which resulted in the death by drowning of one of the tement in the widespread lasing everywhere. In the occupants. Ankole, the bush pig is not '25'2. A native trying to drive a marauder out of his shamba was severely bitten in t dually driving out the human in the arm. 253. On the Ruizi (right in Mbarara township) and on the Kagera rivers in been forced to introduce Ankole several crop-raiders had to be destroyed. 254. For the tourist by car the Kagera river in the vicinity of Nsongezi in the d to assist in dealing with Ankole district is a most favourable locality, especially in the late afternoon, for sely settled areas of Kasilo observing hippopotamuses at close quarters. 'fhe best place is just beyond the smoke­ hut on the road to Kagera Port, and numerous tracks lead to the high bank overlooking thE the river. These hippopotamuses are noteworthy for their enormous size. efl'orts to wage a successful eacits, has designed a very '255. While travelling by steamer up the Kagera river in early February a curious incident was witnessed when a bloated hippopotamus carcase drifting slowly along with the current was seemingly followed by a funeral party of eight of its own -fficiently strong to hold a kind. II the beast before it. could 256. Another vantage point from which the tourist can easily see hippo­ _ to be most effective. potamuses at close quarters is at Kabboko where the Ruchuru river leaves Lake Mutanda in S. W. Kigezi. One proceeds two miles by cal' from Gisoro along the main road e same pit in Toro made towards the Belgian Congo, and there is then a walk of It miles across the lava plain. ;tigate and the local natives 'fhe hippopotamuses, usually nine or more, may often be viewed at a distaqce of a few le Game Ranger was sent yards: they frequent a brge pool and are never very far from the bank. on the incident do not bear r eg of pork! 257. In July there were none of these creatures at Mushongero (on Lake Mutanda) and from local sources it was ascertained that they are not resident, and that o confirm, as indicated in a party of three periodically visits the locality, stays a few days and then departs. e species which is on the Normally this trio makes about five visits a year, but in 1935 up to mid-July it had 'l,d and loud. only been there twice. A little damage is done to the sweet potato, matama and wnship Authority it was wimbi crops, and it was noticed that lake-shore cultivation was fenced. . uses frequenting Entebbe 258. The Kabboko herd frequently pays noctur:C.al visits to the neighbourhood ~est of the herd disappeared, of the landing for Gisoro, and cult.ivation liable to be raided is well-protected by stout ,turned: subsequently five fences. \l 259. In the Toro district, Lake George and certain other localities are vastly clock in the evening, a half­ over~tocked with hippopotamuses. In consequence a portion of the big surplus moves ,f one of the rocky islets in up nv~rs such as the Mpanga and Wirni to the crater lakes and swamps, even into the extensive swamps of Fort Portal township. When ODe raider is destroyed it is quickly replaced by others. ", was killed in the vicinity of nother destroyed at Bugonga 260. :NIl'. F. G. Banks, the Toro Game Ranger, during the May full moon ding, Entebbe peninsula, a er:deavoured .to. deal with a hippopotamus which had been raiding native gardens ,he Entebbe neighbourhood wlt.hm ~he hmlts of Fort Portal township. The only nocturnal prowlers, however, whlCh disturbed his chilly vigil were two civet cats and a large native dog. 'It the year in the Entebbe 261. In the. ~ourse. of a reIJort on the fisbing situation in Lake Edward ~ta. Eighty-seven raiders a correspondent famihar With the N lie and Murchtson Falls states: " There is hardly uers, and eight by the game 100 yard? of (east). shore line bet~een Katata and beyond the Kasenyi lagoon which 19 the Victoria Nyanza coast, can be ~ald to contamless than 50 hippOS. There are more hippos. here than, say, in the Murchison Falls area, and they are by no means shy." He also records: "The fishing 30 r is easier in the lake and there is less danger of hippos. fouling the lines or nets. Though I have not shot any hippo. since I came here I can endorse the statement that ..'1 they are a truculent bunch (in the Kazinga Channel) and one cannot be too careful of them. They have attacked the boats on several occasions." 262. Newly-born calves were observed in the Game Reserve downstre~.m of the

L Murchison Falls in the middle of August. In the same locality" nurseries" of up to a dozen immature hippopotamuses were seen evidently in cbarge of a professional " aunt." 3: t 263. The activities of hippopotamuses in Jinja township do not seem to bave been so pronounced as in previous years. 264. In 'l'eso there has been a certain amonnt of dama,ge cultiYation due " to to 1 the depredations of hippopotamuses from Lf1kes Salisbury and Kioga. 265. It is estimated tha,t more tban '200 bippopotamuses have been destroyed in the Victoria Nyanza, another 100 in the inland waters, and 200 or more in tbe lb waters of the Albert Nile where there are no restrictions on native bunting, and yet plenty of tbese big mammals are left. 266. It is believed that early in the year a big hunt penetrated the protected area in the Nile delta, but tbe hippopotamuses far from showing any reduction in numbers in that locality, are far more numerous than in 1934. -,.'" :267. White Rhinoceros.-Once again there is nothing outstanding to chronicle about tbis remarkable species which continues to be a source of interest, and those freque,}ting the neighbourhood of Rhino Camp can be easily located and seen by tourists from the steamer. 268. No" found" borns have been discovered in the West Nile district, but in West Madi in tbe Obongi area a dead white rhinoceros was found in early September o. r" in a decomposed condition: the neck and bindquarters had been gnawed by hyenas. a o It is believed that this animal died from natural causes, though the horns, weighing respectively 10 ::Lnd 2 lbs., are not those of an old allimal. 3 269. Girafje.-1'he giraffe herd which frequents the right bank of the Albert o Nile in the neighbourhood of the Zoka forest is reliably reported to have totalled 43 a,' head in 1934. 270. Zebra.-Zebra have become such a nuisance in the S.W. portion of the b Entebbe district that it hfl,s been necessary to destroy 63 in Gom ba saza. In

General.

271. Squirrels.-Amongst a collection of lesser mamllJals obtained in the 1'1: Mabira forest (Kyagwe), a small striped squirrel has been identined at the British Museum (Natural History) as Ftmisciurus pyrrlwpus, a West African species hitherto - not known east of the Western rift. 1.J The occurrence of this little creature provides yet another link between the nu lYlabira forest and the parent ~quatorial Rain Forest of the West.

J (B) BIRDS. 272. Pelican (species not determined).-Pelicans ,,,ere breeding at the siit beginning of August in the Bunyoro Game Reserve somewhere along the Waiga river • ~( in the vicinity of the escarpment. The nests are built in tall trees and the breeding coiony consists of more than a 100 pairs. Each evening just before dusk a flight of about 120 birds flying south-easterly was observed passing over Bulisa camp; other ,- parties also noted moving in the same direction from Ndandamire. l' .J 273. Black-crowned Heron (Sekallyolya) (ATdea melanocephala).-On 5th July a breeding colony containing several dozen occupied nests was observed on a small islet in 'Lake NIutanda (S.W. Kigezi) near the Government camp at Mushongero. On a the same day a pair of tish-eagl~s (Cuncuma vocifeT) were Hying about in the same neighbourhood, and as there are no :fish larger than the nsol1zi (Clarias carsonii) in this lake it was difficult to account for their presen(;e. 31

274. During the afternoon of the 5th July a tremendous commotion arose in the heronry, but as herons are notoriously noisy birds no particular notice was taken, though later it was observed that the fish-eagles were perched on small trees in the her my while very few herons were in evidence. On the 6th July the fish-eagles were again seen, after which they disappeared.

275. On the 7th .J uJ T as there was scareely a heron in the breeding colony it was inv tigated, and it ""vas then discovered that the fish-eagles had wrecked the nests, smashed the eggs fLlld temporarily driven a ;vay from the islet tbe rightful occupants. • 276. It is difficult to explain satisfactorily this remarkable incident \-vhich i possibly unique, and apparently a case of wanton destruction. It is well-known that the fish-eagle and the goliath heron (Typhon 7wli(4th) are sworn enemies, and the former rarely loses the opportunity of attacking or getting a rise out of the latter. But the deliberate ravaging of a large breeding colony-for 47 nests containing a totn,l of 150 eggs were destroyed-is something quite new. 277. According to local information this is the first time thfLt the fish-eagles, cn,lledlocally enzo, have put in au appearance, and the devasta,tion wrough t in the sekan,yolya colony is a new feature. 278. Whale-headed StoTk (Balaew£ceps Tex).-A reliahle eye-witness recordB having seen examples of this.remarkable bird in the Lango (Xwania) eWrLnJpS, and it has also a,gain been observed in the Nile delta at the north-east cornel' of Lake Albert. 279. MigTant 8toTks.-Consequent on the general dispersal and disappearanc of the invading locusts tlle vast concentrations of white storks-Oiconia c. ciconia (vide paragraph 225, 1934)-have been conspicuous by their absence, and the white stod, movements have returned to normal. 280. Thousands of Abdim's or white-bellied storks (Sphenoryncll1ls abcl'imii) were seen in attendance on a diffused swarm of red locusts in the Kagera valley near Nsongezi and Kikagati, in Ankole, between 8th and 9th February. bdim's sto 'ks again arrived early, the first-comers being observed passing south-easterly over Lugazi on 28tb October. 0, 281. Marabou Stork.-Severa,l hundred morabou storks, evidently ·on passage were obser"vedlate in the afternoon on 7th February ncar the Ku,gera river in the vicinity :t of the UgfLllda-Tanganyika boundary east of Nsonae~i roosting on practically eery 3 ftva,ilable tree and bush. 'They had been gorging themselves on a diffused swarm of red locusts. 282. [i'lamin,c;o.-An interesting recorc1 of the occurrence in August of a e injured juvenile has been received from Masaka. 'rhis is a species which is rarely observed in Ugancla, though about 30 yen,rs ago there was a breeding colony at Lake Kikorollgo, on the T..Jake George flats in the Toro district. It is curious that ilamingoeB no longer breed there and have never again been recorded from jihis locality. C~Lsual 1e visitors and eX<1,lllples on passage are occasionally noted in the vicinity or f-lake Albert. ;h 28'. A f1'ican PvchaTd.-In the latter part of June there were packs of African bo pochard of 75 n,nd about 300 respectively in the central region and south-western extremity of T..Jake Bunyonyi. In the vicinity of Bufundi it \Vas noticeable that the numbers of African pocharc1 steadily increased from the middle of June onw[lrds. On' Lake Mutanda, in early July, there were plenty of these ducks in twos and tl rees. 284. Af1'ican Mallard or Yellow-bill.-During the latter part of June and in early July the yellow-bill was found to be breeding freely on Lake Bunyonyi; and oe sittings of eggs Vl1ryillg in number from five to six and in all stages of incubation from er new laid to hatching out were found in the central region. 19 285. On Lake Mutc1nda in early July a dnck and three c1uc1dings (about a week of old) were observed far out in the wn,ter several hundred yards from the shore beino e1' cha,sed by some of the locals in dug-outs. "When the hunt was stopped the parent took her brood of four on to her back and with her hull well down in the water made for the swampy shore and safety as fast as she could. tly 286. Spur-winqed Goose.-Three were observed on Lake Bunyonyi, neal' all Harutindo, in the middle of July. 'rhis species has not! previously been observed ~ll in the course of ten years' personal acquaintance with this lake. e ii) 287. Fish-Eagle.-A fully grown fish-eagle which, however, had not yet assumed the adult plumage, was observed near Chabahinga, on Lake Bunyonyi, in the latter part of J nne. 32

288. Osrrey.-During the latter part of June and early July an osprey was seen on three separate occasions in the central and northern regions of Lake Bunyohyi. '1'he presence of this fish-eating species is indication of an abundance of the necessary food supply. 289. Nahan's Francolill (Acentrortyx nahani).-Mr. W. F. EggeJing, Divisional Forest Officer, found a nest of this rare forest francolin in the Budongo fmest. The record is particularly interesting, being the first autbentic account of the breeding of this species. . 290. Guilleafuwl.-During August guineafowl were breeding freely in the Lake Albert littoral (Bagungu region) N.R of Butiaba, and had been doing so evidently for many 'weeks as not only wen}l plenty of fresh eggs and ne\vly-hatched chicks found, but broods strong on the wing were numerous. 291. Snipe.-The long rains broke at Entebbe on 10th April, and on 16th and 17th April there were JIlR,ny double snipe (Cap61la media) scattered in the marshes fringing the Entebbe peninsula. 292. Curhw.-A single curlew seen by the lake-shore at Entebbe on 2nd August is an f1sLonishingly early record. Normally this species is seen for a few days in twos and threes on the Entebbe golf course and on the aerodrome in the latter part of October. 293. Massarnbwa Gullery.--A description of the main islet of the Massambwa islard group will be found in pR,ragraphs 317-318. This island was visited in early May in the hope of finding the gulls (Larus cir~'oceplia?lIs) in full breeding activity, but o\ying to the lR,teness of the rains nesting was only just commencing, and it was not possible to re-visit the locality when the season was more advanced. It had been hoped to ascertain the identity of the species of fish on which the young birds Me fed in order to D.nd out whether or no tho gullery is inimical to the interests of the economic fisheries, though from other observations it would appear that the gulls' diet is mamly confined to various species of nkeje which never grow larger than a few ounces. 294. An amazing feature of this gullery, at least at the commecement of the 'meceme: breeding season, is the desperate struggle for existence (see also paragraphs 517 and agraphs 519). As soon ::LS the gulls from one group of nests abandoned their eggs and took to eggs anI flight, the gulls of another group at once swooped down and ate the eggs. Numerous le eggs. N monitor lizards which live in deep holes amongst the rocks on the eastern shore are also ern shor responsible for appalling havoc amongst the eggs. 295. On the eastern shore amongst the rocks and in the shelter of a low scarp is ::L flourishing colony of sacred ibis ('l'hreski01'nis a. aethiopica), a fairly large black and white species. At the time of the visit there were about 60 pairs of breeding birds, the nests all being on the ground and concentrated into three separa~e groups in which the nests were almost touching each other. 296. The eggs were in all stages of incubation and a few nests contained newly-hatched chicks. The most remarkable feature of this colony was its general untidiness due no doubt to the ravages of the monitor lizards which dwell in the holes amongst the rocks where the nests are sited. HaJf-destrc&ed nests were numerous and a.ba.ndoned eggs, some intact, others lacking their contents and others merely scraps of shells, were lying everywhere, but it is gratifying to note that in spite of obvio\1s disabilities there were still about .60 occupied rests. As the sacred ibis is apparently double-brooded, or at any rate produces a ~dond or even a third sitting of eggs to make good previous losses, there is little chauGe of an appreciable decrease in the numbers of this interesting species. 297. The Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiacus) also breeds on Greater Massambwa. 298. White-winged Black Tern (Chlidonias leucoptem).-This graceful species during a greater part of the year can be seen flitting to and fro above the waters of the Victoria Nyanza in never-ceasing restless fashion, sometimes in full breeding plumage, but so far no Uganda breeding-ground has been discovered. A breeding colony woold be certain to attract attention as the nests are huilt in large numbers amongst the ~,quatic vegetation in shallow swamps. According to local natives this species has bred occasional1y on Lake vVamaln" :wd there is reason to believe that it also breeds in certain swampy localities in the Eastern Province, as well as in the neighbourhood of I.Jake 33

1nosprey was George in the western rift. Large numbers of these terns in full-breeding plumage ions of Lake were flying hig~ ov~r Entebbe on 19th and 23rd April, but it was not possible to decide an abundance of definitely the duectlOn of the passage. • This species.in t~e Victoria Nyanza feeds almost exclusively on the tiny silvery mukene or local whitebait, and so does no harm to the economic fisheries. F, Egg-eling, 299. Hornbills.-These destructive, noisy birds at certain seasons are a positive lD tbe Budongo nuisance in Entebbe, and three species-Bycanistes subcylindrtC11S, the large black-and­ ic account of the white hornbill; Lophoceros fasciatus, the lesser ivory-billed hornbill; and Lophoceros rnelanoleucos (/eluensi.s, the. lesser red-billed hornbill-take a heavy toll of nesting birds. . freely in the The systemat~c ,,!ay m whICh these unattractive species will search a garden for youug doing so evidently birds is astolllshmg. .1~-'1 chicks found, 300, Bycanistes nlbcylindricus frequently c~ptures fully-groviD specimens of some of the smaller birds by "crash" tactics, and hurls itself at its intended victim in and on 16th and the hope of knocking it off its perch and catching it before it can recover. This e~ in the marshes operation is extremely clumsy and noisy, 301. In this connection a most curious incident was witnessed when a male Bycanis,tes hurled itself into a mango tree, felled a dog-faced truit-bat (Epomophoru5 ntebbe on 2nd anurus) which re90vered itself and dodged into a hedge only to be assaulted further and Been for a few days eventually captured; and then took nearly a quarter-of-an-hour to dispose of its prey, . 0. tbe latter part 302, The bird's efforts to deal with its victim were most comical: at first the o· the Massarobwa bat was very much alive, squeaking loud,ly, and furiously flapping its wings. Even was visited in early when the bat ,vas dead it proved 80 large a morsel that it was only with the greatest of -ing activity, but difficulty that it was eventually swallowed whole! The bird, presenting a grotesque spectacle with the large bat held firmly in its bill, sat on the ground, then flew up into r and it was not lce~i. It had been a tree, then came to earth again, vainly endeavouring to gulp down its meal. young birds are fed A cine camera would probably have obtained a remarkable record of the episode, ~ interests of the as the hornbill was so engrossed that it could be approached to within a few paces. at tbe gulls' diet 303. Co-operatton with EU1'opean Bird-ma1'king Stations.-Ringed birds, :r an a few ounces. principally white storks, have from time to time been recovered in Uganda, and at the 'illecement of tbe request of the German Government a special lookout has been kept during 1935 for agraphs 517 and ringed birds. The German stations at Heligoland and Rossitten each mark annually 16,000 migratory birds, many of which probably visit Uganda. H eO'gs0 and too"g to Ie eggs. NumerouS 304. An appeal made throughout the Protectorate coupled with the promise of ~Lern shore are also a reward of Shs. 2 for each ring forwarded to the Game Department has met with a response far exceeding tbe most sanguine expectations as the following table shows, :lter of a low scarp is no less than nine rings being sent.in between April and the end of the yeE-r :- rlx large black and RECOVERIES IN UGANDA DURING 1935 OF BIRDS RINGED IN EUROPE. eedi.ng bir.ds, the I No. Date. Loclllity. La.titade. Longitude. Species. Mark, I \Vheo ringed, \Vber8 ringed.. ups in whlCb the I ~- --- I I April ... OgUl', Lango ... 2- 25' N. 32' 5G' E. White stork, B-407n, 30-G·B3 Pi 11 k a 11 en. nests contained CicfI1l,ia c. ci()(j- Rossitten, Uuven.ile in ERst Pmssia. nio. Germanin... nest). wa.s its general 2 Sth April ... Kiln.i, Bugiahu, 0' 54' N, 34° 21' E. do ... "B-40772, 30·6-33 do Rossitten Uuvenile in ell in the holes Mt, ;;E I go 0 n J (WeBt. Germanie.. nest) 3 were numerous and ISeptember... Pader. Chua .. , 2050' N. 33' E. do ... B-54573. 0-7-34 Warten burg. - merely scraps of Rossitten, (juven.ile in Ea.5t Prusslll. ~ermania. nest)., spite of obvious 4 November Gwere, Upper 3' 31' N. 31' 56' E. Black baoked t-H-5317, 30-6·35 Tvarminne. bis is apparently Nile, neal' gull, Helsingfors, (presumably N. 13 h 0 r e, Nimule. Laru& fuscwt. Finland. juvenile). Finnish gull ;ting of eggs to make (5U" 49' :.\.- -'n the numbers of R 23' 21' E.). 5 27th Nov.... Gweri, Teso ... I' 39' N. 33' 45' E. Wb.ite stork, 75S9-li:UROPA, 6·7-35 Faested, Den- Cioonia c. cico· Viborg, (juvenile in mark. nia. Danma:k. nest). breeds on Greater 6 Mid-Dec, ... BUbilabi, Bugi. I' 3/ N. 34' 15' E, do ... B·1415, 23-6·34 Gorki, Lublin, shu, Mt. Elg'on Polonia, Uuvenile in Poland. Varsovia. nest). 7 Mid-Dec. ... Tord(WT, Budams. 0' 41' N. 34' II' E. do ... BB-HIO, 17-6-35 Scb.l'eibersdorf. is graceful species Rossitten, (juvenile in Kr. Nellstadt. Germllnia.. nest). abel' se hie· 'e the waters of the seiu. 8 Mid-Dec ull breeding plumage, '" Ach.~ t Amuria, 2' 3'N. 33' 48' E. do ... B-60980, 2-7-36 Por sc h ke n Teso. Rossitten, Uuvenile in East Prussia. ing colony would Germa.nia. nest). 9 bers amongst the 28th Dec, ... Near Pader, Chua 2' 48' N. 33° 3' E, Black stork, U·51673, i-6-3! Fo. Ss.ndkrug, Ciconia nigra. Rossitten l (juvenile in P. Freuden- j is species has br~d . Gerroania. nest). fie r 1 West J also breeds in certam == I PrU!~sil\. bourbood of I.Jake 34

305,'"Thi8 bird had two rings with different numbers, Both rings were marked " Rossitten Germania," but one had what was obviously a fu 11 address, Unfortunately the rest of it was illegible. The local District Officer sent both rings to the editor of The Field. It would appear that birds Nos. 1 and 2 were ringed in the same nest. 306. It is interesting to note the varying origin of some of these birds, all of which, with the exception of the Finlano bird and B-51673. are white storks, The region of Uganda lying between long. 32° 56' E. and long. 340 21' E. is evidently the main migratory route of the European s~orks, 307. Information received from the Rossitten marking station indicates that B-51673 constitutes a very important record as this is the first occasion on which a ringed black stork (Ciconia 7l1:gra) has been recovered in "inner Africa." 308. tThis is an extrerrJely interesting record, and according to the Director of the aniversity Zoological Museum at Helsing-fors is only the second case of recovery in the" inner parts of Africa" of a black-b~1cked gull marked in Finland; and the locaiity in which the ring was found indicates that this species closely follows the Nile in its passage towards the Victoria Nyanza. 309. Although bird rings have probably been frequently found in Uganda in the past, the only authentic record of which I am aware prior to 19.'35 concerns a white stork killed by a dog on 14th February, 1934, about twelve miles due west of Mbarara, lat. 10 21' N., long. 300 25' E. It had a ring on its leg, marked" R-4954, P. R. Kovgaard, •Viborg, Danmark." This bird was not on passage at the time but was with a large flock which was following a locust swarm. . 31C, Ornithological fI'ext-book.-In 1930, the Kenya and Uganda Governments each contributed a sum of £375 (£750) for the purpose of illustrating adequately with coloured plates a cOllJprehensive text-book on the Birds of Kenya and Uganda which was nearly ready for publication at the time of the death of Sir'Frederick Jackson, who was its talented compiler. 311. This book has been exhaustively edited and brought up-to-date under the expert guidance of Mr. W. L, Selater, well-known in the ornithological world for a ;ong period of years and now an unofficial worker at the British IVl usuem (Natural Histor,Y), and it is understood that it will be in the hands of tbe publishers early in 1936.

(C) REPTILES. 312. Distribution.-Thanks mainly to the much appreciated co-operation of various interested persons, particularly Mr. vv. J. Eggeling of the Forest Department, a great deal of additional data have been acquired; and in the Budongo forest and other localities several interesting species have been found whioh have not hitherto been recorded from Uganda. 313. The first t\VO parts of A Guide to the Snakes oj Uganda which is being illustrated with black and white drawing of snake heads e),S well as 'fiith coloured plates depicting each known Uganda species, compiled by Capt. C. R ~. Pitm

317. Black-lipped Cobra (Naia melanoleuca).-During a visit in early May to - gs were marked the l~'(?:er islet of the Massambwa group in Sango bay (Victoria Nyanza) it was noticed Unfortunately that olack-lipped cobras were exceptionally plenuiful. , 0 the editor of ,he same nest. 318. This islet is several miles from the mainland and is a few acres only in extent. It is a haunt of wildfowl, particul<1rly tbe grey-headed gull, Larus cirrocephalus, se birds, all of which species after the long rains breeds tbere in thousands. It is thickl v covered with te stor1>:s. The scrub, and on the side exposed to the open lake there is rocky ridge fullY of the type of is evidently the holes which provide snakes with splendid lairs. 319. The local folk suggested that tbe snakes had reached this curiously indicates that isolated babitat travelling on floating islands of papyrus which in times of flood are asion on which a swept out of the Kagera mouth nearly fifteen miles away. 320. Puff Adele1' (Bitis arietans).- 'l'he note concerning the occurrence of the the Director of black-lippec1 cobra on Greater lVlassambwa should be read in connection with this "ase of recovery repulsive species, a la.rge example of wlllch about 3n feet in length was killed shortly Finland' and the fol\ow~ after hnding OIl the islet. Massambwa is a locality where one sho~ld w,,,lk warily, and L the Nile it is advisable to b",ve a gun handy. 3'21. On the Bagungu coast of Lake Albert (N.E.) the puff addees average large Ilnd in Uganda .in and are evidently plentiful yet one does not hear of cases of snake-bite, and there :.~ concerns a whIte would be little chance of survival after a bite from oue of these monsters. west of M barara, , P, 8. Kovgaard, In the course of a few days numerous large specimens were brought to me, usually by native children who were not as tall as the total length of tbeir victims! 3'2'2. The four largest eXR.mlpes are: two males, 4 feet 9 inches (weighing 5 lbs.) ana 4 feet, and two females 3 feet 1O} inches (7 Ibs.) and 3 feet 8l inches (6 lbs.) : the last-named had five large rats, partially digested, in its stomach. )anda Governments ~g adequately with 3'23. Chameleon.-Some charnel cons collected above tbe 9,000 feet level on -.ld Uganda whICh Mt. Elgon by Mr. G. W. Foster belong to a hitherto undescribed race of Chamaeleon rick Jackson, who bitaeniatus, details of which have recently been recorded by Mr. A. Loveridge, who has given it the full name of Chamaeleun bitaeniahls altae-elgollewis. to-date under the It is claimed to be a small-sized highland race, but the validity of this sepn.ration oaical world for a is questionable. ~1~suem (Natural CroOQdlle. hers early in 1936. 3'24. _General.-Fish guards cELmpcd on tbe Buganda side of tbe Ripon Falls were astonished early one morning to find a large crocodile on the steep bank about 60 feet above tbem. d co-operation of 3'25. Fat({lities.-During June a boy of about fourteen years old was taken by Forest Department, ,udongo forest and a crocodile at Tanya on the Lake Albert littoral. He was Dever seen again. An adult man was taken and killed at Buhub, also on the Lake Albert eastern shore on have not hitherto 3rd September. As usual from time to time one hears casually of fatalities \vhich are never '--'lda which is being officially reported. tth coloured plates . Pitm<1n, appeared . 3'26. "Lutembe."-Uganda's pet seems to hfive 'been on her best behaviour 'tal. dUYl,ng the year upder review and no untoward incideM;s have come to light. In fact at tImes she has so bestially overeaten that, oblivious of numerous onlookers, she has lsively proved the refused to return to bel' \vatery borue aWl has contemptuousiy fallen asleep, her hideous 1as to be admitted features set in a most revolting expression. o the highly aquatic One is always appreciative of good publicity and in a book recently published i11 COlDmon a.ll along Lutembe's beme is described a,s being in " the river, near the village of Kampala" ! ly specimens of the 327. AssociatiOI7 with other Creatures.-A curious incident in connection with elephants is mentioned in paragraph 381. 3 superabuudant and ,kes, no doubt on . 328. Anti-Crocodile Measure~.-In spite of the efforts of local residents which most as if they had bave resulted In considerable crocodile mortality in the imrnedi::l.te vicinity of Entebbe, 'I'n, and the scales a:d. an mtensive campaign amongst tbe breeding stock during the nesting season, y of small fisb, t ere are stlll plenty of crocodiles in evidence in this neighbourbood. ~eeded four feet i.n . 329. At the end of the year, however, it was noticeable in the course of i incbes; and it IS expenmental netting' that for tbe tirst time the nets were free of crocodile damaae ~d '. .. b' tholloni is markedly enqumes amongst the local fishermen elJclted the response that there has lately 37

... .w.; used by these 340.. Partially dri~d strips of mputa' (Nile perch) were mainly used, -but any partiaJJy dned fish or portlOn thereof of abou t a pound in weight is suitable: _tl • s many hundreds 341. The poison, both a barium compound and strychnine (in varying doses) 'l~ being tried, is carefully concealed beneath a flap of half-dried tissue and securely bound in the centre of the bait, which is loosely fastened to a small floating raft of l. ci>ign against the reeds or other light material to keep the bait clear of the water. The raft is e Entebbe coast- anchored to prevent the bait being driven ashore by the wind. vicinity of the b~t II~ 342. Nearly three dozen baits were laid, as the known crocodile mortality G,1 did not exceed three there must have evidently been an error in the dose given which Gave commenced was presumably too mild. In the Annual Report of the Tanganyika Game Departme?t "hlng out or in an for 1934 a most successful instance of crocodile poisoning is mentioned, and ,detalis \ 0he total bag for for future reference have been obtained of the methods adopted. Further experiments L( are being carried out during 1936. ~h the carcases were 343. Crocodile and Bu:(falo.-An ex-game scout who lives at· Busana in Buaerere reports that a crocodile pulled an old buffalo bull into the Nile and drowned out and taken to it. <:> The local natives found the remains lower down at the landing opposite Mbulamuti.

13. hatching had _These six nes ts ,1 of 3,993 eggs, or t , nests each held J,1

~l

.L ~ \ over. Total. 3 68

? pack together in )J They disperse SECTION IV.-GENERAL. ...\1' loudly with a n the water, when (A) DISEASES OF GAME. 344. Rinderpest.-I am indebted to the Director of Veterinary Services for the following resume of the rinderpest situation in Uganda during HJ35. In January fg 90 days which rinderpest was present in Bugwere and Bugishu districts. During February there was I youngsters start a small outbreak in S.E. 'reso which was soon suppressed, and in March another : hard rammed soil amongst the Suk cattle on the Kenya border. No more rinderpest appeared until L-,ccasion one nest l ', October involving cattle in Loliakat quarantine, Karamoja. .It was soon suppressed. lost entertammg During November the disease appeared amongst the \;J\.ttle of West Madi near the Sudan border and there was also another outbreak in Teso. The West Madi outbreak -ach period of two was due to the introduction of meat and hides into the kraals from buffalo which had ..... , died in the bush from rinderpest. During the early part of December fifteen dead ; buffalo were discovered near Dufile Old Fort. Further extensions are expected. ':ftain well-favoured Thirty-eight buffaloes were destroyed in Toro by organised pitting. ; year does indicate I't- .ng-ground. The 345. The most disquieting feature is the West Madi outbreak, and it remains ,)y metereological to be seen whether in 1936 history repeats itself and the disease crossing the Nile into whether unusually Gulu, enters the Gulu and Bunyoro Game Reserves eventually to spread into the cattle areas of the south and south-west. 1:"'''1 gations on "Lake . 346. Other Diseases.-With the exception of rinderpest the ungulates and other resort to various wlid animals which act as vectors of stock ailments seem to have kept free of disease. J but unfortunately In ~ ovet:=tber rabies was discovered in the "Vest Nile district necessitating a campaign "lith fine fish, are agamst Jackals-there a plentiful species-and other small carnivorous mammals. ~he question, and There has been one report of mysterious, unexplained mortality. m completely in the 347. At the end of June 1934 according to a reliable authority there were five would be a great ~ephants '"<", on one of the islands in Katwe bay at the north-eastern corner of Lake dward, vide paragraph 116 (1934). ite baits and in the ;k of dogs to seize h d fi 348. Addi.tionalo information acquired. locally suggested that these elephants a rst been notIced on the island about Apl'll that year. 38

349. The District COnJmissioner, Toro-Mr. E. A. Temple Perkins-visited the island on 7th February with the amazing result na.rrated below ;- "It will no doubt be of interest to you to read the following s~ra.nge s~ory of elephants on Rusuku Island in Katwe Bay, Lake Edward. There are t,hree small islands in the bay, Rabazimu, Izinga and Rusuku, the last being the most southerly and ~he most exposed. At first sight there appear to be only the three, but there is another very small one nestling close in to the north side of Rusuku, and so far as I know it is nameless. "Raba,zimu is long, narrow and flat; Izinga is much the same shape but more elevated and in the form of one even ridge. Both are heavily wooded, and completely covered with thorn bushes and scattered trees. They are edged with long grass. "Rusuku is a hill, steep on the south and west sides which drop almost sheer to the lake, with only a track at the water's edge, and sloping off to flattish ground on the north and east. The l1iJl itself is arid and bare except for a few small euphorbia trees, but the lower slopes even now possess a fairly large amount of thoro bush in spite of the attentions of five elephants. rrhere is a huge array of fallen trees resembling heaps o~ firewoo.d, which, at first sight, are the only indication that the island has been inhabited by beasts of any kind ""iv-hen camped at Ratwe on 21st December, last year, I happened to see an elephant on Rusuku and on enquiring of the chie£ I was told that there had been five there for some m,)nth~ and thev hud "'aded o,'e1' from the mainland on ,he west-a distance of about a mile-and,a-quart;r. .'I looked a.t the place through bin:lculars for some time that evening "'.nd again neXI; morning bu~ could not see more than one elephant. It did not seem worth while going over to see it a~ close quarters, and it did not occur to me that there was anything unusual about its presence, as I assumed it had decided of its own free will to stay there in peaceful solitude after its companions had returned to the mainland. "The others migh~ even have made a short excursion to the next island-which was closer than the mainland and covered with vegetation-but I could see no sign of them. "My next visit to Katwe was on 7th February, and to my surprise the elephant was still on Rusukll, and apparently alone. On this occasion. my curiosity was roused and I went off next morning with some friends to see the lonely brute and find out more about it. "\Ve landed on a small beach strewn with dead elephant grass on the extreme north-east corner of the island. The first sign of life was an "nswaswa" lizard-about the usual 4 feet in length. At first glance I took it to be a small crocodile until I remembered that Lake Edw.ard does not possess any-incidentally, if it did, I should have a very different • story to tell. "\Ve climbed the hill to enable us to locate the elephant, and from the top one could see most of the islRnd except some steep parts to the east and south, I judged the place to be approximately 500 yards from east to west and a similar distance from north to south. "The elephant was standing browsing on some thorn bushes amongst a mass of the fallen trees already mentioned. After a few minutes "she" moved. off and :'Ie followed' her to the beach and took her photograph. While doing so and manoeuvring for position I smelt a colossal smell I andl there was no mistaking it. ReI' dead mate was lying CJn the beach. "The corpse as seen from a distance presented a weird spectacle and closely resembled an old tarpaulin thrown over some furniture. Owing to the absence of carnivorous beasts the skin was almost intact and no skeleton was visible; only the tusks emerged from the unsavoury head. "Within half-an-hour we found another bull lying dead in the middle of a patch of thorn bushes-and then it was that one's interest became rousen. We decided to' examine the island yard by yard and thereupon set out to explore the beaches to the east and the steep slope to the south. On the Wf1Y we came upon yet auother corpse, again a bull, lying onl.y 150 yards or so from the last one. \.. ",\VG then had to account for only one more. It \vas not on the island, however, and owing to the stupidity of the paddlers we had no canoe to take us to the other small island. only 30 or 40 yards to the north west, to find out "'hether tPat 8mall piece of land beld the secre~. "The paddlers had foolishly om:tted to make fast the canoes when we landed and, owing to the high wind, one had drifted away towards the east mainlnnd. Then, surreptitiously, they hacl taken away the remaining canoe to go and retrieve the first, "Aftel' further examination of the corpses I came to the conclusion rhat the three elephants had died within a: very short period. and had died the same death. "They were all lying on their right sides with their IBgs drawn up and their mouths wide open-obviously, it seemed to me, killed by some intestinal trouble. "I do not think that there is the smallest possibility that they died of starvation; jf they had felt the lack of suitable food they could surely! have returned to the mainland. "The remaining cow was b.y no means emaciated, in fact she looked surprisinglv fit, far more so than many of the MawogolaJ elephants. • "I incline t.o the theory that they met a· fairly sudden death and succumbed either to some poisonous -'plant or to some internal complaint due to a prolonged overdose of brackish water. 39 e Perkins-visited "Unfortunately I had no means of finding out; at all events the corpses were too far gone to be of any use even had I had the necessary implements to cut them out-they were age story of elephants probably four to six months old and, as I have said before, the skins were almost intact, all islands in the bay, but on the other hand carrion birds had finished off the organs. Jd the most exposed. "I remembered too that a great many hippopotamuses had (lied mysteriously in the ery small one nestling same locality during November, 1933, and perhaps the elephants had died of the same cause. ess. "The most unaccountable thing to my mind is why the five animals stayed so long npe but more elevated on such an unattractive island, and why, if they started to feel unfit, they did not make )mpletely covered with for the next island or the mainland witbout delay. This apparent lack of intelligence, I think, confirms my theory that death was fairly rapid in each case and that the three died within a very short period." )p almost sheer to the h ground on the north 350. Apparently while the investigating party were on the island the lone cow phorbia trees, but the paid a visit to each of the cOlyses and was photograpbed standing b;r one of them. spite of the attentions aps 01 firewoo.d, whicb, This constitutes st111 further eVIdence that elepbants by no means lQvanably shun the 'J beasts of any kind. pro'Ximity of tbeir oyvn dead: ~nd in West Nile the indifference ?f elephants to the :ned to see all elephant recent remains of tben: own specIes has frequently been noted by rellable observers. ~en five tbere for some -a distance of about " 351. In the absence of adequate evidence there is little that can be recorded concerning the cause of this extraordinary mortiLlity. According to the Director of evening .Ind ngain next. Veterinary Services "even an intelligent guess as to the cause of death would be ~em worth while going unJustifiable." ~ was anything unusual l stay there in peaceful 352. The unusual posture in which the elephants died. i.e., with the mouth wide open and the legs drawn up does suggest an agonising death indicative of a form next island-which was of poisoning. :e no sign of them. 353. vVorthington's soundings taken in the course of his" Fisheries" survey rprise the elephant was was roused and I went in 1931 show a maximum depth of two metres between these islands and the mainland. ut more about It. (B) ECONOMIC INDUSTRIES. grass on the extreme lswa" lizard-about the 354. Skins.-Leopard skins continue to be exported fairly extensively, and dile until I remembered though the trade is scarcely of the dimensions of an economic industry nevertheless .l1d have a very different their acquisition not only increases the purchasing power of the local natives, but is of and from the top one definite benefit in reducing depredations amongst the smaller types of domestic stock. ld south. I judged the 355. There is evidently no interest in any other wild animal products from the tar disi."nce [rom north aspect of economic industry. amongst a mass of the 356. Bees~cax.--The Game Department has an interest in this industry from f and we followed her to the point of view of the damage caused by certain wild animals. 19 for position I smelt a lying on the beach. 357. In amplification and amendment of paragraphs 163-165 (1934) it is now ole and closely resembled definitely known that the ratel or boney badger is a Widespread species in many parts :e of carnivorous beasts of the Protectorate and it is strange that so little is known about it, and tbat the local tusks emerged from the natives rarely take any steps to counter its depredations. Ie middle of a patch of 358. During 1935 the Agricultural Officer directly concerned with the industry v,-e decided to' examine has in the course of his investigations obtained ratel skins from localities as far apart as ,hes to the east and the lrpse, again a bull, lying Rubanda in Eastern Kigezi and Galiraya in Northern Bngerere (:\1engo). In Bugerere he reports that the species is plentiful and that throughout this saza, particularly at Galiraya, Kasokwa and Bale, the hives Ruffer much damage in conseqnence. on the island, however, ~ Ie us to the other small that small piece of land 359. In Kigezi it is well-kDoi\n at Rubanda and Rukungire, though apparently unknown in other parts of this district judging by the results of extensive enquiries ,s when we landed and, made in numerous gombololas where wax rendering demonstrations have taken place. :1. Then, surreptitious]y, 360. A ratel skin was also obtained in Ankole in tbe Igara saza, on the borders of the Kalinzu forest, so it is strange in view of this definite evidence and the fact of onclusion that the three 3 death. Rukingire bordering AnkoJe, that throughout Ankole the serious damage caused to wn up and their mouths hIves is attributed by the natives to the civet cat and the leopard. Tbat this is tbe ble. case is now considered to be most unlikely. they died of starvation; 361. The Agricultural Officer is of opinion that "approximately 50 per cent. roed to the mainland. of the total nu.nber of occupied hives are damaged by the ratel in Ankole and Bugerere, e looked surprisingly fit, and consequently discourages bee-keepers in the new wax industry." and succumbed either to ·362. The number of pounds of wax obtained per hive vary according to tbe J.ged overdose of brackish amount of nectar and district climaticfl,l conditions, etc., but average 1~ lbs. per hive per year. 40

363. As the price of beeswax is £6 c.i.f. ex-wharf London per cwt. East African block, the material loss to the owner can be appreciated, when as recently happened in Bugerere, 38 out of 40 hives were wrecked in a night by one (or more) rate!. 364. In Bugerere some effc1rts are occasionally made to hunt out and destroy the marauders, but the general apathy in this respect is remarkable. 365. The ratel is easy to trap and in the course of its nocturnal wanderings follows for choice definite tracks and paths. Its line of approach to trees containing hives should be quickly detected, and if the trees are surrounded by a hedge or bama in which are left gaps protected by snares, the nuisance will soon be reduced to a negligible quantity. The most efficacious type .of trap is the noose set on a stout bent stick which when t,he trigger is touched catches the creature by the neck, the stick straightening itself and jerking the victim clear of the ground.

(C) NOTES OF GENERAL INTEREST. 366. Distinguisheel Visitors.-In February the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg, a distinguished sportsman-naturalist, travelling from Cape Town to Northern Africa made a brief visit en passant. 367. 1'11'. Martin Stephens, the shooting editor of The Fielel arrived by air on 18th March, and departed in similar fashion four weeks later. 368. He came out to test the attractions of Uganda for the sportsman and he went away with the intention of returning as soon as possible, no finer testimony to the success of his trip being necesRary. 369. His impressions have appeared in a series of interesting articles in The Field which constitute excellent publicity for this country. He was particularly struck by the possibilities of Uganda from the point of view of the elephant hunter. 370. Under the expert guidance of Capt. Salmon not only did he visit some of the best-stocked game areas which are accessible to all-comers, but also was introduced to " elephant control," and was privileged to see as he expressed it ":five elephants put down in about 45 seconds," the Ranger being handicapped by a damaged left band! 371. Expeelitions.-In addition to distinguished visitors and expeditions previously mentioned, the Cleveland Clinic Museum from the Uniteo. States of America was given permission to collect four chimpanzeeR for important scientific study in connection with certain glands found in anthropoid apes. 372. Requests for lnformation.-Requests for information have increased to such an extent that it has been found neces~ to prepare a comprehensive pamphlet on " Notes on Shooting in Uganda" which can be issued in response to enquiries and so reduce very considerably the clerical work involved. 373. 'Murcllison Falls Trip.-The following table is eloquent testimony of the steadily increasing popularity of the Murchison Falls trip, and the number of visitors (310) is considerably greater than during 1934 (245), though it must be remembered in that year the s.s. Livingstone was laid up for the months of October and November:-

8.S. L't'dngslone. 5.S. Lugald. 'I'dps Passengers Trips Passengers Month. mude. carried. made. carried. January 10 32 3 25 February 6 17 3 46 March 6 25 3 22 April 3 11 1 9 Ma.y 3 8 June 2 6 Julv 4 17 August 8 24 September 5 20 October 1 1 November 5 15 December 5 17 1 15

TOTALS 58 193 11 117 Total number of passengers-31O. 41

Nt. East African 374. In Februarv some visitors en route to the Falls from the steamer tly happened in encountered face to face a large bull elephant halted on one of the cliff sections of the rateI. path. When th~y started to ad ~ance the protecti;e unit lea the party up the steep hillside to a pomt above the ammal from where 1t could be observed lD absolute )ut and destroy safety. 'rhe beast's only re-action to noise and stone-throwing was ear-flapping and trumpeting. As it refused to budge from the path the sightseers who could not get mal wanderings round it had perforce to return to the ship. They were, however, unanimous that the trees containing view of the Falls from the top was worth missing in order to e~joy so wonderful hedge or boma an experience. le reduced to a 375. A routine visit was paid the lVlurchison Falls in mid-August when the )n a stout bent conditions were almost Arctic! All the customary animals, including elellhant, were neck, the stick seen. Crocodiles in the Fajao region though as abundant as ever were considerably dispersed. Hippopotamuses were far more in evidence than a year previously, and a casual count on the downstrmun journey exceeded 1,000. 376. In the narrow Pearson Channel a pair of hippopotamuses were of Mecklenburg, unexpectedly encountered at very close quarters, unfortunately in the falling light of Northern Africa evening when a photogmph was out of the question. Poor old Darby from his lacerated hide had evidently fought long and hard for his Joan, and the appro,1ch of the launch 'rived by au on seomingly so large must have awakened painful memories and filled him with consternation, which resulted in a bad attack of nerves. )ortsman and he 377. Escape was impossible-the water was too shallow and the papyrus testimony to the too thick-so the poor old fellow backed as far as he could into the tangled growth on the bank and sat down on his haunches. Gibbering with fright he presented a ludicrous appearance. ,ting articles in . was particularly 378. Publicity.-Oapt. O. R. S. Pitman, having been appointed Chairman of hant hunter. the Ugiwda Publicity Oommittee, has had to devote an unduly high proportion of his tilDe to publicity matters, which have increased enormously the work of the solitary lid he visit some clerk. s, but also was ~pressed it "five 379. A ne,\' Publicity Handbook-the obsolete edition was issued in 1929­ ,ed by a damaged l1as been proouced; a Publicity Folder, printed in Englancl in December, had not "'nived in Uganda when the year ended; various illustrateo advertisements were prepared; a comprehensive and lengthy note on shooting, game and useful hints to and expeditions sportsmen compiled; and a progressively increasing number of enqlliries dealt with jtates of America each month. ienti£c study in 380. Game Reqisters.-Registers submitted of a list of game shot under licence are often quaintly worded. The following is a good sample :-- ave increased to 1sive pamphlet on 23rd April, 1934...... 1 Bug. 271)h April, 19.'14. 1 Bug. I enquiries and so 29th April, 1934 1 Bug. 28th May, 1934 ... 1 Waterbuck (Ensama). 4th October, 1934 .,. 1 Nkondo. testimony of the 12th October, 1934 ...... 1 Ensunu (Stag and dear). lUmber of visitors Tlte sportsman's telegraphic address should be "Itchy," and his motto" Good hunting" I st be remembered 1d November:- 381. Wild Animal Associat1·ons.-lVlr. W. J. Eggeling, Forests Department, ;. Lugald. witnessed a curious incident on the Nile shore in the vicinity of the Murchison Falls. Passengers 'l'hree elephants were seen on the river bank near some basking crocodiles. The elephants carried. 25 were moving a.long a s:J.ndbank and one came to a crocodle and picking his steps he 46 walked across it just as if he was walking over a log. rrhis is in marked contrast to 22 African records of crocodiles which have on occasion been stamped flat by an elephant 9 probably with very good reason. ' 382. Zoological Specimens.-During the year a fine young male situtunga, from Bugala (Sese), and an alleged pygmy crocodile from the Aswa (Moroto) river in Ohua-Lango, were sent to the Zoological Society of London. Both arrived in excellent condition. The latter had for the pa.st three years been very kindly housed at the Veterinary Laboratory at Old Entebbe. 15 383. 'l'setse Fly (Glossina morsitans).-According to t.he J?istrict Oommissioner, 117 Ohua, the tsetse-fiy (Glossina morsitans) appea~s to be spreadmg m part.s of N.E. Ohua. The D1stnct Lukiko suggest that this spread 18 probably connected w1th uncontrolled 42

. g)."ass burning. In old days the grass was very carefully burnt in patches, so that the Jater burnings of the areas in which the tsetses had perforce to concentrate were particularly deadly to the "fly." 384. Bees.-Tbe African bee is normally a vicious creature, and when carelessly robbed of its honey is apt to wreak its vengeance on the first unsuspecting passer-by, as happened in March to Capt. Salmon (iu Gulu). The results of unexpected attacks are sometimes far-reaching, but fortun8.tely in this case the victim was only temporarily incapacitated. . 385. Natiue Admil/istmtion Guards.-Native hunters trained by the Game Department, but armed ("404 rifles) at the expense of Native Administrations, have been employed (one. each) in the Entebbe, Mengo, Masaka a.nd Mubende districts in Buganda Province, mainly against buffaloes. 1'heir achievements have been most satisfactory and in certaiu cases outstandiug. 386. In the Busoga district of the Eastern Province, three or four of these Native Administration hunters have also been employed. 387. The Mengo guard obtained 1'26 animals, including eight elephants, 47 hippopotamuses and the rema,inder mainly buffaloes, with an expenditure of 244 rounds ("404), or less than two rounds per animal killed·-a remarkable achievement. 388. 'l'emporary Bunte1'8.-In the Entebbe district, five '303 rifles have been on loan, one respectively for each of the :ti ve counties. There have been occasional changes in the bunters. 389. A total of 244 destructive animals killed is almost twice the 1934 total. The ammunition expended averages about four rounds per beast which is very satisfactory. The total of 244 is made up of 59 buffa-loes, 87 hippopotamuses and 98 other animals (including 63 zebras). 390. Publications.-The following papers have been contributed to scientific journals by members of the staff:- "The Gorillas of the Kayonsa Region, Western Kigezi, S.W. Uganda": Proceedings Zoological Society of London, 1935, C. R. S. Pitman. "A Guide to the Snakes of Uganda, Parts I and II"; Uganda. Journal, Vol. III., Nos. 1 and 2, July and October, 1935, C. R. S. Pitman. Va.rious papers on Ornithology to tbe Ibis, the Ostrich, Bulletin British Ornithologist·s Club, and Oologists' Record, C. R. S. Pitman. "The Wild Life of Uganda-The Travellers' Guide" (re-issue No.5, 1934), Kenya and Uganda Railways and Harbours, C. R. S. Pitman. Also-A Report on a Faunal Survey of Northern Rhodesi'L (2 Vo]s,--one map), C. R. S. Pitman. 43

1 patches, so that concentrate were

.nd when carelessly lcting passer-by, as SECTION V.-FISHERIES. flected attacks are ,s only temporarily (A) ECONOMIC.

391. Achievements: General.-With the scanty funds available it has been led by the Game necessary to concentrate on (a) a continuation of the compilation of statistics which trations, have been eventually will indicate the value of the fisheries, in particular those of the Victoria stricts in Buganda Nyanza, (b) general control, (c) experimental investigations, and (d) the improvement 1 most satisfactory of conditions in, or the introduction of economic species into, some of the minor lakes )ur of these Native 392. Also, study collections from the waters mentioned in paragraph 282 (1934), have been augmented and a representative series of species obtained from Lake Albert. ight elephants, 47 tum of 244 rounds 393. Personnel.-The native staff during 1935 had perforce to remain at vernent. the same total as in 1934, one part time and four whole time guards. The results achieved with this small staff are most gratifying. 3 rifles have been e been occasiona.l 394. Programme.-The 1935 programme included:- (a) Further stocking the Kigezi lakes-Mutanda, Mureyhe and Mugisha-with Tilapia from Lake Bunyonyi. (This was successfully :e the 1934 total. accompJished). ,t which is very (b) Stocking Lakes Kachil"iL, Chanagwora and Kijanebalola, the Jotamuses 8.nd 98 Koki lakes in the Masaka district with Tilapia from Lake Bunyonyi. (This had to be postponed owing to lack of funds, but the introductions to Lakes Kachira ,uted to scientific and Kijanebalola are to be effected at the first opportunity in 1936*). (c) Stocking Lake Saka, near Fort Portal, in the Toro district with janda": Proceedings Tilapia from Lake Bunyonyi. (This introduction was accomplished successfully in July). ~al, Vol. III., Nos. 1 (d) Experimenting in the Victoria Nyanza in the vicinity of Entebbe with set-nets of various sizes of mesh and with seines, vide paragraph 285 :ritish Ornithologist's (1934). (There have been few opportunities for the prosecution of these enquiries) . 5, 1934), Kenya and (e) An investigation of the Lake Albert Fisheries. (Owing to force of circumstances this could only be done partially). 2 Vols,-one map), (j) A special enquiry into the important fisheries of :­ (1) Sese Islands. (2) Kome. (3) Mouth of Kagera river. (This has been impossible. pri~arilJ: o,,:ing ~o lack of staff, though it is hoped to commence comprehensIve lllvestlgatlOns m 1936, when a substantial increase in personnel is likely). (g) Fish-marking experiments, commencing with the barbel or "kisinja" (Barb1tS altianalis radcliffei) at the Ripon Falls. (See paragraph 508). (h) The further quest for survivors of th~ 01931 introductions of brown trout into the Ruwenzori streams. (See" Angling" paragraph 526). U') A continuation of the campaign to reduce crocodile numbers aloner the Victoria Nyanza litteral, and elsewhere. (This has been prosecuted vigorously, vide paragraphs 330-342, and with marked success). (j) Investigating the fishing industry on Lake Wamala. 395. Nets.-The general retail price for an all-line? five~inch mesh gill-net unmounted is Shs. 12/50, so that when mounted the cost IS nearer Shs. 14. The apparent increase in cost is due to the wholesale dealers, who have got rid of the large surplus stocks they had on hand which th~y sold at cheaper rates to ensure qUlck sales, now selling the nets at the normal pnce.

• NOTE :-These introductions were sa~isf",ctorily effected on 1st February, 1936. 44

Breaches of Game Laws (Fish Selltlons). 396. There seems to have been a great improvement in the situation on the Victoria Nyanza, in spite of the absence of the Sleeping Sickness Inspector for the greater part of the year, and personally undertaken expeditions discovered no fishermen in unauthorised areas and very few camps of recent origin. Vide para. 409 far more fishing licences have been taken out in the Mengo district in 1935 than in the previous year. There has been plenty of evidence forthcoming that the unauthorised use of small-mesh nets is indulged in surreptitiously and frequently, but this law-breaking is not easy to detect as the poachers are wise enough to confine their unlawful activities almost entirely to the hours of darkness, ,"Yhich incidentally adds to the difficulties of their conducting a profitable undertaking.

Development and Control of the Victoria Nyanza FishIng Industry. 397. A.ciivities.-Vide paragraph 288 (1934) efforts have been concentrated on the collection of data. 398. Small-mesh Set-nets (or Gill-nets) .-Further experimental netting carried out indicates that the use of the three-inch and two-inch nets along the Entebbe coast most certainly results in considerable wastage amongst the juvenile ngege during the period 1st August to 31st January, which in consequence should be retained as a closed period. But no harm is likely to be done by removing the ban on the use of these types of nets during the remaining six months, i. e., 1st February to 31st July, in t.he year. It is hoped therefore to arrange for a six months open season each year when these small-mesh nets can be used commencing from 1st February, 1936. 399. Statistics.-The statistics collected confirm what was claimed in paragraph 304 (1934) that the fishing industry is neither on the decline nor unproftable, and that most definitely there is not a shortage of fish. 400. Statistics for the mainland. landings are confined to the six most important varieties of fish-ngege, semntundu, kisinja, kasulubana, male and mamba, and for the islands in addition includes ningu and nkeje. 401. Fish Prices.-There is nothing to add to the information contained in paragraphs 308-309 (1934). 402. Kagera River.-It has not yet been possible to undertake exhaustive investigations, but it is hoped to make a start in 1936. 403. Fishing Effort.-The number of fisliermen licensed, and the quantities of nets imported indicate no reduction in effort, which on the contrary appears definitely to be increasing. Preparation of Statistics. 404. Vide paragraph 320 (1934), the aim of the statistics collected IS primarily to ascertain ;- (a) Whether there is a shortage of fish. (b) Whether stock is decreasing. (c) Whether there is a decline in the industry. (d) Th@ value of the fishery. (e) The extent of the fishing effort. -:1:00. The intensive collection of data has been confined to the landinQ's nearest Entebbe, efforts being concentrated on Nakiyenje throughout the year, and spread over several others according to the season. 406. Statistics were collected at Nakiyenje on 304 days, during which period a total of 51,288 five-inch gill-nets were set and 69,732 fish weighing 165,559 lbs. (74 tons) or approximately 1'36 fish per net, were taken.

The value of t.he Nakiyenje catch is as follows;- Ii •. ck , Ngege· ...... 509 1 00 . Sernutundu 180 7 00 Kasulubana •... 40 14 00 Kisinja 55 2 00 Male 15 0 00 Mamba 14 7 00

TOTAL £814 11 00 .. 45

407. The collective value of species other than ngege is £308 lOs. Values ation on the are based on the average wholesale prices quoted in paragraph 308 (1934). The daily ctor for the average value of the catch is £2 13s. and making an allowance of half this amount lcovered no for the 61 days (mainly Sundays and holidays) not recorded the annual value of the Vide para. Nakiyenje fishery appears to be nearly £900 which is a considerable improvement on n 1935 than the figure of £750 quoted in 1934., 408. The tables which follow show;- • rised use of (a) Number of fishermen registered, aw-breaking (b) Quantities of nets imported. ~ir unlawful (c) Quantities of dried fish landed at the Uganda mainland ports from the Sese Islands and Kome. adds to the (d) Quantities of dried fish imported from Mwanza, Tanganyika Territory. Quantities of dried fish exported to the Belgian Congo from Lake '/. (e) Albert. DOncentrated TABLE A. NUMBER OF HALF-YEARLY I,1CENCES ISSUED ON THE VICTORIA NYANZA DURING 1935. 11tal netting Buganda P1'ovince- Fishermen Reg'istel'ed. (1934). Revenue Collected £ s· cts. the Entcbbe Mengo District ,.. 2,780 (1,573) 278 0 00 1gege during Entebbe District ... 1,046 (1,154) 104 12 00 ['etained as a Masaka District... 3,045 (2,544) 304 10 00 m the use of 6,871 ... (5,271) 687 2 00 GO 31st July, -- -- )n each year Eastern P1'ovince- " 1936. Busoga District ...... 595 ... (720) 59 10 00 Budama District ... 138 ... (131) 13 16 00 claimed in -- unprofitable, 733 (851) 73 6 00 '" -- GRAND TOTAL ... 7,604 ... (6,122) £760 8 00 he six most and mamba, 409. The Buganda Province shows a very welcome increase of 1, 600 licence~ during the year under review; in both the Mengo and Masaka districts there are very contained in substantial increases, and the small decrease in the Entebbe district is probably due to fishermen migrating to the neighbouring districts. 410. In the Busoga district of the Eastern Province the appreciable decrease :e exhaustive in the number of licences is possibly partially reflected in the substantial increase in the Mengo district. he quantities 411. The total increase is nearly 1,500 which is probably due to more efficient °ary appears control on the part of the Chiefs, and in any case neither indicates a declining industry nor yet a shortage of supplies. TABLE B. collected IS 412. QUANTITIES AND VALUES OF FISHING NETS IMPORTED INTO UGANDA ori~in, Quantity Valne. Countrv of DURING 1935. cwts. £ United I\.ingdom 247 9,758 Irish Free State 17 485 Netherlands (Holland) 1 30 Germany .... 3 80 Elsewhere 6 linus nearest TOTALS ...... 268 10.359 a~d spread 1934 figures "'ere 260 Cwts. valued at £10,008. thich period TABLE C. 65,559 lbs. 41:1. (Kenya and Uganda Railways and Harbours traffic). PARTICULARS OF DRIED FISH FROM THE SESE ISLANDS AND KOME LANDED AT THE

9; ct~. FOLLOWING VICTORIA NYANZA PORTS DURING 1935. - 1 00 Port. From. Tons, Lbs, Jinja Sese Islands... - 30 7 00 Port Bell ... do 2 30 14 00 Entebbe... do 15 ." 730 2 00 Bukakata... do 4 1,885 o 00 Ratebo do 5 499 7 00 Ratosi Kome - '" 206

1 00 TOTAL 27 tons 1,140 Ibs, (27} tons approx,) 46

414. This is what might at first appear to be an alarming decrease on the 1934 figures, and there has been a reduction of more than one hundred tons in two years of the quantity of dried fish carried by the railway steamers. Fortunately this drop does not indicate a declining fishing industry. 415. But, as mentioned in paragraphs 337-338 (1934), the islands' fishermen find canoe traffic cheaper and more frequent and in consequence there has been an enormous increase in the quantity of dried fish landed at Bukakata (from Sese) and along the Kyagwe coast (from Kome). 416. It has not yet been possible to gauge accurately the extent of the dried fish trade in these two regions, but it is hoped during 1936 to obtain comprehensive data and to exercise closer control. TABLE D. 417. (Kenya and Uganda Railways and Harbours traffic). QUANTITIES OF DRIED FISH IMPORTED DURING 1935 FROM IvlWANZA THROUGH KAMPALA. 573,578 Ibs. (or 256 tons approximately). This is more than a hundred per cent. increase on the 1934 total of 113 tons.

TABLE E. 4.1S. (Kenya and Uganda Railways and Harbours traffic). QUANTI'l'IES OF DRIED FISH EXPORTED DURING 1935 TO THE BELGIAN CONGO FROM LAKE ALBERT. From Butiaba ... Nil. From Pakwach (to Kasenyi and Mahagi) ... 2 tons 916 Ibs. 419. The closing down of Lake Albert Resources,. Ltd., vide paragraphs 461-465, at the end of January is adequate explanation for the collapse of this trade in 1935. NOTE :-Neither during 1933, 1934 nor 1935 have an)! dried fish been exported from Kampala or any other Uganda Railway stations, or from any Victoria Nyanza port in Uganda. 420. Owing to the illness and subsequent absence on leave of the Sleeping Sickness Inspector it is not possible to include any statistics of dried fish passing through Kampala Market. 421. In the 1936 Annual Report, comparative tables will be included showing the extent of catches during 1934, 1935 and 1936, at the main fish landings along the Victoria Nyanza coast. Lake Bunyonyl. 422. Lake Bunyonyi was visited between 15th June and 2nd July, and once agam comprehensive fishing investigations were based on Bufundi camp as being most central. The object of the visit was primarily to ascertain the situation throughout the lake in order to confirm the proposal previously made to open net­ fishing for Tilapia from 1st January, 1936. 423. In addition it was hoped to ascertain the status of the introduced species T. nilotica and T. nigra; to transfer juveniles to any parts of the lake which were found to be poorly stocked; to augment the previous introductions to l,akes Mutanda, Mureyhe and Mugisha; and to test the possibilities of angling for Tilapia nigra. 424. Netting investigations were carried out during seventeen days and nearly half-a-ton of Tilapia caught. These fish were distributed amongst the European residents of Kabale and its neighbourhood, and were unanimously voted to be excellent. There is no doubt that the vicinity of t~e. reed fringe and the shallows in the greater part of the lake now harbour vast quantltles of thes~ succulent fish. 425. Five-inch gill-nets only were used, the nets being invariably laid singly and never in a "fleet". Nets were usually set some time between midday and 4 p.m., and picked up for examination shortly after dawn. 426. In addition to Tilapia, 17 otters, 5 AfricaIi pochard and several cormorants, both the large white-breasted and ~ygr;ny long-tailed varieties, were caught and drowned in the nets. Unfortunately thIS hIgh mortality amoncrst the otter population is inevitable, and it is evident that the wretched otters have'"no hope of breaking their way out of all-linen nets. 47

427. The catch is tabulated as follows :- :Lse on the . ~,.' ons in two Date. . No of Nets. No. of Fish. Weight in Ibs. Males. Females. I, . . . ~ 15th June .. 2 10 18 .. 6 o • 4 nately this 1,1"~ , .... ' ...... 16th .. .. 2 18 34 .. 9 .. 9 17th " .. 4 32 .. 58 15 17 18th " , fishermen " .. 5 .. 18 .. 29} 14 .. 4 19th 00 5 .. 37 63 .. 29 .. 8 J :' l " loS been an 20th .. .. 8 17 .- 31 12 .. 5 21st " 8 27 52 .. 15 ., 12 l Sese) and "~ ."..;~ " '-; 22nd 8 .. 41 97 '0 24 , . 17 H. " 23rd oo 13 " 8 26 49 .. .. 13 24th 8 73 oo 129 ., 47 oo 26 25th " .. 8 oo 103 31 oo 24 f the dried " 55 .. 26tJ'l oo oo ~i~l~ ,. R 51 oo 87 30 21 lprehensive , ' 27th 8 44 72 27 oo 17 " .. 28th oo 8 16 33 9 7 - .' " " .. 29th ,: oo oo 8 10 .. 20 oo 7 3 30th 8 8 17 oo 5 .. 3 Jul~ .. 1st 8 .. 51 .. 85 oo 35 oo 16 ------TOTALS: 17 days .. 114 .. 534 .. 9771 oo 328 oo 206 . KAMPALA. 428. These figures furnish some interesting data: the average catch per net U3 tons. is approximately five fish which is high considering that individual nets were set to obtain the most comprehensive information, and not in order to achieve the best results. The best day's total is 73 fish from 8 nets.

I CONGO The best individual catch for a net is 20 fish, there are others of 18, 17 (3), 13 (2), 12 (4),11 (2), and ]0 (3). Occasionally fish were taken as the net was being laid. 916 Ibs. 429. The fish were in excellent condition and the average weight of the paragraphs 534 fish is 11'8, or a little over I! lb. Seventeen fish caught in one net totalled )[ this. trade 50 Ibs. in weight, an average of just over 3 Ibs. The individual fish in five of the daily catches average between 2 and 2t Ibs. en exported 430. The heaviest catch is 73 fish (8 nets) weighing 129 Ibs., closely followed 'ria Nyanza by 55 fish (8 nets) totalling 103 lbs. The two biggest fish caught weighed respectively 5 and 4~ lbs., both being females. he Sleeping ish passing 431. Fifty per cent. more males than females were caught, the ratio being three to two. On two days equal numbers of either sex were caught: on only one occasion were.more females (17) than males (15) taken. ed showing lings along 432. During these investigations it was not possible to distinguish conclusively all the T. niloiica from T. nigra, though it has been subsequently ascert£l,ined that there can be no mistake if the characteristics of the anal fin in these two species is , and once known. In T. nilotica there are in the anal fin three prominent spines, in T. nigra ) as being 'jour or more. ~ situation 433. Preconceived ideas suggested that T. nigra would be found to be open net- predominant, but all theories were upset by the undoubted and overwhelming abundance of T. nilotica. In paragraph 353 (1934), it is mentioned that "the two led species species are at once distinguishable on the stomach contents alone", so that it was vere found somewhat disconcerting to find in practically every stomach, and all were examined, Mutanda, a very definite indication that its owner was nilotica. Fa. 434. It is impossible from the doubtful data kept concerning the identification and nearly of the two species to obtain an accurate idea of the precise situation, but from the European expert classification of a large series sent to the British Museum (Natural History) excellent. and from the subsequent examination of the local study collection it appears that he greater not more than three per cent. if as much, of the Bunyonyi 19.35 catch can be identified with T. nigra. Also the known examples of T. nigra came from the laid singly central region of this lake. dday and . 435. Further investigation is necessary to determine the actual state of affaIrs, and it remains to be seen whether T. nigra has definitely gone under, or d several :Whether in a couple of years' time it will' be a~ plentiful as T. nilotica. The T. nigra les, were mtroduction was effected at the end of 1932, and the last occasion that T. nilotica the otter were introduced was in 1929. ) hope of 48

436. It is most interesting that it should be the vegetarian T. nilotica from the heated waters of Lake Edward which has firmly established itself, thus confounding the experts, and that T. nigra from the cooler waters of Lake Naivasha is barely holding its own and may be doomed to extinction. 437. The northern and central regions of Lake Bunyonyi now contain Tilapia in abundance: the eastern coast southerly from Ohabahinga and the south-eastern arm are poorly stocked: and the south-western arm has fish in' fair quantity in its northern half but carries practically nothing in its southern extremity, into which the opportunity was taken to introduce supplies of juvenile stock. 438. About a dozen of the local fishermen and dug-out oWners were instructed in the correct methods of rigging, laying, picking-up and mending nets. These pupils in course of the protracted investigations also became familiar with all the best fishing grounds throughout the area of the lake. • lake Mutancla. 439. On 26th June further supplies, totalling about eight hundred, of juvenile Tilapia were successfully transferred from Lake Bunyonyi to Lake Mutanda. 440. During the period 5th to 10th July gill-nets of various sized mesh were set in several suitable localities but, as expected, so far there is no' trace of the Tilapia introduced in November, 1934. 441. For future guidance it is worth placing on record that the dry weather months after the rains have finished are apt to be boisterous and the lake frequently becomes exceedingly rough, so it is not a suitable season for either general or fishing investigations. 442. It is 5ur?rising that Barbus altianalis edouardi-:a most enterprising species-has not found its way from Lake Edward up the Ruchuru river into Lake Mutanda; there may of course be falls of such a nature on this river to provide an insurmountable barrier. But, in the Berara river right above the escarpment at Rubaba there are plenty of Barbus, probably the Lake Edward race of altianalis, and the reference in paragraph 442 (1934), concerns this Barbus and not Tilapia. 443. The Ruchuru river for the seven miles or so of its course within Uganda limits might eventually become a perfect stream for angling if only the right fish can be found for stocking. lake Mureyhe. 444. A further stock of about four hundred juvenile Tilapia froml Lake Bunyonyi, to supplement the introduction at the end of 1934, was successfully transferred to Lake Mureyhe on 26th June. lake Muglsha (or Kal.yumbu). 445. On 21st June the first introduction of about five hundred juvenile Tilapia from Lake Bunyonyi was successfully accomplished. lake Saka. 446. In the early hours of 15th .J uly about a thousand juvenile Tilapia started the long journey by lorry from Lake Bunyonyi to Lake Saka ne~r Fort ?ortal, a distance of more than 250 miles. The "fry" had been caught on 13th and 14th July, were ferried across to Ohabahinga from Bufundi on the evening of the 14th July, the water in the carrying buckets changed for the last time about 2 p.m., on 15th July and the stock, at least eight hundred of which survived, !successfully introduced into Lake Saka by 2 p.m., the same day. 447. The temperature of the Bunyonyi water when put into the buckets was 68°F., and due to the steady evaporation through the canvas soon dropped to 64°F., so that with their covers on the buc~ets kept the water a~ an even temperature throughout the journey even when passmg through the low-lymg and heated western rift. 448. The temperature of La~e Saka being nearly 70°F., in the middle of the' clay care had to be tak~,n t?, ~alse ~he' bucket temperature gradually several degrees before releasing the fry Jll theIr new home. Or. 49

· nilotica from Lake Wamala. d itself, thus Lake Naivasha 449. The fishing situation on Lake Wamala was investigated between 21st May and 30th May at the termination of the long rains. 0 contain Tilapia 450. This lake evidently contains only coarse fish' such as the silurid "male" lth-eastern arm (Clarias) and the lung-fish or "mamba" (Protopterus) , and as its nature is that of a in its northern swamp it is unlikely that the introduction of a palatable economic type, for instance a Ghe opportunity species of Tilapia would prove successful. 451. The local dug-out is extremely small, primitive and rickety and the owners were fishing is .not sufficiently attractive to induce the development of a safer pattem craft. mending nets. 452. Hippopotamuses are very plentiful in certain localities, and accordingly amiliar with all limit considerably ttle areas in which nets could be set if their use was justified-at present not the case 453. A local industry of considerable extent depends mainly on the results' achieved by long lines equipped with varying numbers of hooks. It hundred, of Catches are poor, vide the details in the appended tables :- Lake Mutanda. l1a.lo. Mamba.. TaLa!. Hook'), l\o. lbs. No. lbs. i\o. lb,. ized mesh were 100 56 76 6 12 62 88 :e of the Tilapia 50 24 50 33 42 57 92 400 29 75 - - 29 75 300 - .. - 3 57 3 57 60 3 .. 6 2 6 5 .. 12 he dry weather 60 13 .. 25 4 .. 13 17 38 150 .. 51 90 2 .. 7 53 97 lake frequently 150 40 91 4. 25 44 116 ~neral or fishing 190 60 100 7 16 67 116 130 .. 40 75 4 10 44 85 100 25 .. 60 4. 15 29 75 - -- -- ~ ------)st enterprising 1,690 .. 34.1 648 69 203 410 851 river into Lake r to provide an escarpment at The above figures represent a catch of several days, and work out at Ealtianalis, and approximately one fish per four hooks. t Tilapia. These dried fish sell at :- "Male"-3 for 3hs. 2 (4 for 8hs. 2-if unusually small). : within Uganda "Mamba"-(large) @ 8hs. 2. e right fish can "Mamba"-(medium) @ 8hs. 1/50. "Mamba"-(small) @ 8h. 1. 454. When the adjacent swamps are flooded sufficiently to afford the fisl'l Jia froml Lake attractive feeding-grounds, fish-spearing which at all seasons supplements the long as successfully line, is indulged in freely and with good results. At the best time of the year, i.e., during and after the long rains, this method is resorted to in a greater part of the vast swamp region extending from Lake Wamala to the Katonga mouth. 455. Individual catches examined consisted of one to nine fish, sometimes luvenile Tilapia of one species only, sometimes both. The "male" varied from 2-! to 51 lbs. each in weight; some of the "mamba" were very large and examples of 37 lbs., 30 lbs., 25 lbs , 21 lbs., 20 lbs. and 15 lbs. were weighed. 456. The opportunity was taken to try the effect of a five-inch set~net. Tilapia started Four days were blank, and the following catches are recorded for the other three days Fort Portal, a on which the net was used :- 13th and 14th (A) ,...... 4 19 19 of the 14th (B) 8 25 JUt 2 p.m., on (0) 4 18 I, :successfully TOTAL 16 62

Ie buckets was 457. Investigations with the five-inch net cectSed abruptly owing to its beino lped to 64°F., carried away by hippopotamuses. In spite of several days' search it was not 0. temperature recovered. leated western 458. A three-inch net was tried one night and cauglit a 3 lbs. "mamba." the middle of 459. There are no crocodiles in this lake, which is a great haunt of waterfowl. dually several 460. The native Government levies a charge of 10 cents on each 8h. 1 worth of fish sold. 50

COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT. (i) Lake Albert. LAKE ALBERT RESOURCES, LTD. 461. After the very detlnitepromise of a profitable industry indicated by the achievements of 1934, it was a very great pity that after the reconstitution of the Company at the end of 1934, a combination of circumstances in e'arly 1935 should ha\'e decided Mr. L. St. C. Bartholomew to abandon the enterprise and wind up the Company's affairs. 462. Capt. G. P. Jennings 'who had been taken into partnership with :Mr. Bartholomew died suddenly of heart failure at Wankende on 28th January, and this \yas the deciding factor in the subsequent closing down of ()perations. 463. Had his partner lived Mr. Bartholomew would have endeavoured to carryon in spite of the restricted market with the Belgian Congo having failed him. He stated that with increased competition and absurd price-cutting there was little chancf' left for outsiders. 464. Before he left the country :Mr. Bartholomew furnished a most interesting summing up of the situation. 465. He is convinced that a profitable market exists in Uganda, but it can only be tapped through small shops-a tedious and troublesome method of selling, and it would take some time to work up a satisfactory livelihood for one European. Kampala offers poor prospects for the Lake Albert trade, as it is too close to the Victoria Nyanza. Kenya towns offer a better market but obviously are not easy to control from so far afield, besides which communications are both poor and expensive. The fishery has been abandoned with great regret, as there are plenty of fish available and successful methods of catching them were being practised.

Other Non-Native Interests. 466. (a) The marine authorities at Butiaba own a small seine-net which is fished' daily in the very early hours of the morning and usually in the. course of a few hauls manages to provide geod food fish to supply local European wants and enough surplus to be sent to Masindi Hotel, while there are always plenty of the less palatable species for sale to natives who compete keenly for what is available. 467. (b) Mr. Coutinho, from. the Belgian Congo, has small fisheries at '.Vankende near Bulisa on the north-eastern shore of Lake Albert and at Tonya. Dried fish are taken periodically to Butiaba for disposal, but the quantities obtained are evidently not large. It was not possible to investigate the catches at Tanya, but in the latter part of August some interesting data was obtained at Wankende. From local information it was ascertained that it was the slack season, and not a great deal of seine-ing ,vas taking place. 468. Two seines were in use one 168-!- feet by 8 feet and the other 148 feet by 8 feet. The former, worked by t\VO dug-outs, one day in the course of several hauls caught 27 fish totalling 175 Ibs. :- 3 Mputa 95 Ibs.: 11 Mayore 49 Ius.: 3 Karuka 10 lbs. : 3 Magamba 4 Ibs. : 2 Wag-assa \1 lbs. : and 5 Ngege 8 Ibs. . 469. Another day the large seine in three hauls caught 49 fish totalling 9'3 Ius.: in detail 10 Ngege 18 lbs., 12 Mpoi 35 lbs., 22 Wachone 25 Ibs. and 5 Karuka 15 Ibs. 470. A third day in two hauls there were 16 Mputa 19 Ibs., 46 Mpoi 37 Ibs., 7 Wachone 43 Ibs., 9 Karuka 321bs. and: 29 Ngege 36 Ibs. These Wachone and Mpoi are all immature fish. 471. Dried fish examined at his camp were represented by 40 Mpoi 50 Ibs. (mostly small fish), 30 Mputa 58 Ibs. (nearly all immature fish of less than 5 Ibs. each when fresh), 22 Karuka 18 lbs., 21 :Magamba 7 lbs., 31 Mayore 43 Ibs. and 7 Kasulubana 9 Ibs. 472. The above resul~s do .not Indicate a very lucrat~ve undertaking at this season at any rate, but what IS senous and a ~atter for conSIderable concern is the high percentage of immature food fish of conSIderable economic importance which are included in these catches. 51

. Native Industry. 473. The activities of Lake Albert Resources, Ltd., and its organised metloJods, combined with the measure of success achieved have tended to inspire and improve ap)2reciably the local native industry. Natives at Panyamur (West Nile) I by and Bulisa (Bagungu, Bunyoro) who pnrchased nets and other gear from Lake Albert : the Resources, Ltd., have apparently reaped a rich harvest during the most favourable ould fishin~ seasons, and while the nets lasted. ) the 474. It remains to be seen whether they ,vill be able to replace theiT nets efficiently as the existing ones wear out. At Bulisa according to the local Gombolola with Ohief, August is one of the warm water months when the fish are far afield seeking­ and cooler water. The natives then often 11ave to go a yery long way to get any fish, and much of their work is without result at all. :0. to 475. A few set-nets (gill-nets) with an eight-inch mesh are also used. him. little 47C. One cannot condemn a fishery solely on the results of catches during a period of three weeks in one month of the year, but the day's results are illuminating. as will be realised from those appended ;- most Diminsions of seine-net, 135 feet by 5 feet.

D" 1"0'" Noal'a Waraga II Noassa Naeae Kal'u,ka Wahune Kui-llja, \ Wagamba To~als ; can .' b,uis. :>10.Mo.,.Ibs. I No.lbs. No.lbs. No.lbs. I No.lbs. I No.lbs. NO.lbs. INo. Ibs. 1\0. Ius. Nc.lbs. , and

?ean. 1 5 11 23 ! ... 6 2! 32110 ~ 11~" ~ I.. I \ - ... --;; -- ... --:-,~-=-~6 o the 2 .~ , :~ 4 2... 1~ " ... 7 19 I? 12 .) -- ~ 1.. 3 --: - B ... 3~~ j _ 1 ,s:J; to 3 4 32 36 13 ... 16 - 4 0 i ~ ~ - ... - I ... 3? I .. ~I 3 3 ij810~ __4. __3_-=-~ _2_,_.. _3_\- - 12 ... 8 b /) I-=-.:...:...=.. _1__ --=- ~ 3 5 26 2, 1S1"e. ilable 4 ,5 46 ... 6:, 121 .... 26\ 2(; '" 3V I 45 :16144 ... 22 I I. 1 \, ... Hi 2 . ;; G S 2(1(1 H6.z

47'/. The outstanding feature of the above figures is the havoc seine-ing is playing with the mputa and ngege stocks! for all these fish are absurdly immature, ich is and in the case of the mputa very few examples attaining even two pounds in """eight l of a were seen. FuJJy adult male mputa attain 45 lbs, or more, and the females as much ;s and as 26CJ lbs. It is estimated that the annual wastage amongst juvenile mputa due to Ie less the aCl;ivities of the seine-net fisheries is the equivalent of at least forty to fifty tons 'Neigh1. of adult fish, and these figures may be many times short of the mark. ies at 'onya. 478. As the mputa is probably the' most important economic food fish in tained Lake Albert, besides being a first-class sporting species, a measure of protection is a, hut essential, and it is proposed to protect all mputa of a length of two feet (measured From from the tip of the snout to the extremity of the tail) or under, and to employ a great fishery guard to see that the prohibition is observed, 479. The local prices prevailing for these fish are miserable, though it ,,,as emphasised that it was about the worst month of the year, and that in July fish are 8 feet exceedingly plentiful and a total of six hundred fish is often taken in a day. everal 480. These little mputa sold at 8hs. 2 for 20 : eight ngege for 20 cents the lot. samba thirteen ngara for 80 cents the lot; seven wahune (39 Ibs.) at 8h. 1/20 the lot. The total value of catch No. (3) in the table was 8hs. 6/95. tailing 481. A native-owned seine fishery at Kaiso was also investigated, the :. and principal catch being mputa of a reasonable size-that is 15 lbs. to 50 lbs. fish. 482: It had been anticipated by the Provincial Administration that the 7Ibs., construction of motor roads to Ndandamire, Biseruka (for Tonya) and Kidoma (for Kaiso) would tend to develop the nati,'e fishing industry, instead of which these impr?ved communications have been instrumental in promoting the extension of cotton growmg, ,0 lbs. 483. Also, an endeavonr to develop fish-buying centres in specified localities . each has met with little encouragement from the local fishermen, but this does not and 7 necessarily imply that the scheme is deemed to failure, for the native is notoriousl" a slow mover and normally averse from any change, especially of a sudden natur;, 1t this in his mode of life and methods. is the 484. Once buying centres are established on a sound basis where the which fishermen can dispose of their dried fish, there is no doubt that they will be resorted '-'---- " ------_.---'

53

~ to be tapped lake to lagoon ; the natives say the Wap.ia try to get into the lagoon because the water is lis commodity. salty (?). The average catch per canal 1S five per day ~ostly very small fish which wol)1d escape a five mch gut mesh. I tned an experImental push" net made from a mosquito Uganda ,dried net and it brought up considerable number of very young ngege. This experiment was made outside the lagoon. I am of the opinion that the north shore of the lake between the lrket for Lake NYdmagflsani river and the Kyanja lagoon is a breeding ground for ngege and kisinja. . "The mouth of the Nyamagasani river is interesting; the river empties itself on to a ,ighing about a Wide mud flat, probably quarter-of-a-rrule across. Wben the river is in spate large numbers of male and mamha feed over these. flats and as t.he flow abates becomes trapped in the mud pools; at such times the mhabltants of Katwe and the bills beyond go en masse to 1st entirely for this area and spear fish. be encouraged . "I tried a seine net at Ratata but only made. one haul as there was a rocky bottom mputa. whIch fouled the net; thIS haul brought In 30 male; It was not a representa-tive haul as the lng to the higH arms of the net had to be lifted several times to avoid obstructions. I went further down, to the Kiamweru river, but found it impossible to do anything there (although there was a by crocodiles. goed hard bottom) on account of the number of hippos. e to crocodiles, "RA',rwE BAY.-There are about 20 natives engaged in fishing; they all employ gill 'I five-inch nets nets and I have not seen any of them working lines; their average catch is 30 fish per day mus and never comprising ngege, kisinja and semutundu in about equal numbers. One of these men (a our consecutive Muganda ex Lake Victoria) does a very good trade with Masaka and Mpigi; he turns out ch net in Kaiso the best quality smoked fish I have yet seen; his sale is nearly half-a-ton per month. The fishing area the natives use covers about half the bay between its north shore and Izinga Island (the farthest out Island). The bay is not over fished as only about 20 nets are used. 1 great variety, "I have not fished in the Kazinga Channel for two months as the fishing is easier in Ie. the lake and there is less danger of hippo fouling the lines or nets. "GILL NETs.-Owing to the strain put on the nets through heavy catches the ordinary 1 these lagoons, fivu inch gill net purchased in Kampala and which has a stnmd 3{35 ply is too fine for a beginning. this lake. Starting with a new net the following are the average catches per week- 1st. week about 100 fish. 2nd week 50 to 60 fisb. rd, Ltd., during 3rd week 20 to 30 fish. nt opportunities 4th week about 15 fish. and after the fourth week nets have to be renewed. It would be worth while trying nets of a strand 3{14 ply to 3{18 ply; they would probably get a smaller catclJ but would average eved far below bE-tter with a longer "life." here has been "Head and foot ropes on gill nets. I started (on advice) uSlng three'eighths-of-an-inch rope both manila. and sisal but latterly fell back on one-eighth hemp rope. The reason for this was to be found in a deterioration which is equal in a large or a small rope, and the occurs in Lake latter is cheaper. In stripping the nets after a haul it requires considerable skill to take of "Ngeruchi. " the fish out of the nets; inexperienced labour halve the life of the net, as they tear the fish six, instead of out instead of working the stmnds over the gills. Mamba (lung-fish) do considerable damage to nets and are responsible for the big tears. "LONG LWEs.-These I am using in lengths of 150 fathoms, 300 hooks set on snoods and preserved one foot long; on a hard bottom these can be sunk but on a soft bottom must be floated; otherwise they get buried in the mud. Short lengths of line are preferable as should a· line get fouled or tangled it is less trouble unravelling a short than a long line; it sometimes e subject of his happens that four to five consecutive hooks will each catch fish weighing up to 50 Ibs. leo At the end "With five fish tugging at a small length of line it carries away and the fish swimming on the Mweya about with a "loose end" will tangle up a whole length of line regardless of length. "For long lining I use an L shaped shooting stick about six feet long; the hooks lie over the top of the L with the snoods and loops hanging. In shooting the lines with a interest:- motor boat it takes an hour to shoot 2,000 hooks, allowing that one stick (300 hooks) is , there are more baited before starting, two men payout the hooks while two others bait up. It takes half a atwe than in the day to haul in 200 hooks' as the fish have to be played, then speared and the hooks cut out . the sandy areas of their mouths. I have tried leaving long lines out for several days but the lines soon mds rather than rot and the resultant loss of hooks does not warrant it. It is better to work two sets of ~ north shore and lines and dry them under cover. IUd and the west "SMOKE SIIEDS.-My first smoke sheds were a failure; they were built on the lines 'bably due to the suggested by Graham, i.e., 6 feet square, 12 feet high, with a wood fire. As no sawdust 1 both directions. was abailable I found that the heat from a wood fire cooked the fish; a better type of shed 2licrophagus food is one of twelve feet long by six feet across with a pit, eight feet by three feet by three feet, 'with I' in Katwe Bay not more than four tiers of fish hanging on racks above each pit. I am trying out a new te water is clear. smoke shed which has R smoke pit outside, the building J1;I'e feet below floor level and a chimney ,rent from what leading into the building. Tbe five feet chimney creates sufficient draught to keep wet fuel , natives fished; "a1ive" with a resultant density of smoke. gle; bounded on "WEATHER.-March to June al'e wet months; during this period it either rained every ; high. On the day or the sky was so overcast that it wa,s difficult to dry the fish. To overcome this fish he north eastern had to be liberally salted during drying. The wet season has been abnormal this year. It ep wa tel' with a has been cool during my seven months here there being only; one or two hot days. Lake flies lals cut through in big clouds were noticeable during the rains with the coming of each new moon. The lake ·ut 50 feet apart level rose one-and-a-half feet between March and June, and. is still up. The Semliki normally and go two feet three feet deElp is now over five feet. The rains are over and there is a heat mist everywhere the direction of with visibility of less than three miles (July-August). . "Katwe Bay proved most disappointing for long lines; In one place on the east side of the bay 600 hooks produced only 17 fish; outside the bay gives better results although the water is 10 to 12 teet deep. I have been able (.0 compare net fishing inside and outside the bay, as a local native set seven nets inside the islands against. seven of mine outside; the results were 207 fish against 43l. "Tbe prices of native smoked fish at Katunguru may interest you; ngege 7 cts., semutundu 20 to 25 cts., lrisinja 15 to 20 cts., ,,(".; ngege sell at 5 cts., and semutundu 15 to 20 ets. "There is a growing demand for local fish principally from Masaka. Almost every lorry leaving Kat.unguru takes a part load of fish, the transport rates are Shs. 6 per bundle of 150 sem.utundu or 300 ngege."

I.JAKE EDWARD ~ETURNS--nfARCH TO AUGUST, 1935.

Days of Ngeoe ; Kis.lIja. Caltlsh Semu!u,,,!u Kasllll' Month. or or IOmoruma I or or Tota,ls. Fishing. Mamba. \ Or ).lai'eYc. Nd&chc. Jiale. Ntm~ani. ------Om"kora. March 13 S,807 289 ". 374 22 l,~~~ 1,198 12,193 April 20 6.21:; 33~ 4.120 ::l89 I I 12,318 May 20 o,'tO:; 432 H,S09 487 11,133 Junp 20 l,n 12 109 821 131 299 2,972 Jnly ". ". August ... 10 1.536 101 3~ 466 83 2,225 "I ------TOTALS ".J 88 2-1,575 1,2,0 9,08~ -1,3-6°1----;;- i 3.327 1.1 9S -I0'~41

(III) Other Waters.

495 Viele paragraph 417 (1934), nothing further has eventuated III connection with the proposed development by Uganda Fisheries, Ltd.

(IV) Nsonzl Fishery, Kigezl. 4%. The Lake Bunyonyi nsonzi fishery was again open throughout the year, and the control on the size of fish permitted to be taken is proving more effective. 497. Dues collected amounted to £40 9s. 90cts. which represents a sale of 54,000 sticks or approximately 1,404,000 fish. 498. This is an appreciable increase on 1934 figures (£29 17s. 30c s.), and indicates no scarcity of fish, nor lack of interest on the Rart of the wholesale. buyers.

(v) Introduotlons. 499. Introductions of tilapia into Lakes Mutanda, Mureyhe and :Mugi~ha, all in Kigezi; and Lake Saka in Toro are referred to respectively in paragraphs 439, 444, 445, 446. Experimental Nets.

500. Between 3rd and 12th January investigations were carried out III the vicinity of Mfu island (Old Entebbe), Bussi and Nakiwogo bay, with :- (a) A "fleet" of eight ,el-nets, two each of fi\'e-inch, four-inch, three­ inch and two-inch laid in sequence of size smallest to largest, the small-mesh nets being set in the shallows and the "fleet" lying at right angles to the shore so that the large-mesh were in deep water.'; (b) Two two-inch nets together. 501. Jamwrv is a month ,-"hen breroing ngege are plentifully distributed along the greater portion of the mainland coast. . 502. The results of ten days fishing are interesting. Orocodiles were responsible for considerable damage to the nets.

(a) Catch of the" (Ieet " in ten days :--

Kasl/~" I Nets. No_a'· ;}>[p07t{/O. !~::::i,~ I~ -""~~"O. Male. '~'~'~ KOTOIIOO. N""'~' 1>""'j'l~

2-,," 42 5 I 3 2 1 ". , :;3 ~=~:: ~ (juv)1 4 I 1 1~ :. "j "Ii i'~ ::: I "2 I 2'7 ~; o 2" 1 1~ ,,_._I' .__1 167 I GO, 9 7 23:1, 487 --i--49--I---'-'~-i---9-1--+- 35! H I 2 173---7-3----9----9-12W~ t 5[',

I east side (b) Catch of the poiT of two-inch nets in ten days:- ; althougb , od outside Nets. ,iYC!t,007'rI &. EIi..wJIla. N30ga. .1V;.ngll. }{ol'on,10 . ,/yzc)'e. Nk~je. Total. e outside; 2-2" 6 177 64 2 6 89 344 NOTE: (u) Twenty-liwo 7lgege were callght one nig-ht in the two five-inch nets, when set near Ragololllolo, Bussi. ge 7 cts., The lIgege aie all breeding- specimens, the DlujoJ'ity o[ feme.!e. about lo spawn; tbe males are mainly mdu 15 to .c ripe "; a few of eHher sex are :, spenL" fish. (,,) (b) The majority of the nkeje were taken at various stations inside 'Nakiwogo bay. j\'svga fairly plentiful at nost every most stations. .l'ingll sparingly dist.ributed, and most. plentiful off Kagolomolo and Kilinda. per bundle (b) The catches of the two·inch nets do not indicate any harm to the immature ·ngeg. slock. The resulls of further brief periods of experiment"l fisbing- with gill nets of various sized mesb indicate thltt the two·inch and three·inch mesh nets are responsible for considerable wastag-e among-st the juvenile "geg. s~ock.

503. Fish Marking.-Arrangements ,vere made to commence marking barbel ~~ll~ I Totals, 'I(lui. (Barbus altianali.s radcliffe·i) at the Ripon Falls, Jinja, on the Buganda side· of the Nile, on 31st May. ,198 I 12,193 12,318 504. Unfortunately the volume of water discharging over the Falls had 11,133 increased so much since the last visit in December, 1934, that the original scheme 2,972 for capturing the fish could not be practised. 2.225 505. Also, the quantity of barbel below the Falls was unusually small, though .198 I 40'811 many fish of all sizes were observed to be ascending the river successfully throughout the length of the main fall. 506. InformatiCIP acquired locally indicated that during the long rains there 1tuatec1 m is not a large' 'run" of barbel upstream. 507. Before fish-marking on the desired scale can be carried out it will be necessary to await a big "run" of fish, for the capture of which a new method will now have to be devised. t the yea;:, 508. A further attempt in the latter part of December was made successfully dfective. and one hundred barbel varying in weight from one to eight pounds were caught ,5 a sale of below the Ripon Fans, marked and released in the Victoria Nyanza above. 509. It is anticipated that in due course marked fish will be recovered in the :Octs.), and Victoria Nyanza: and at the mouth of the Kagera. river. Ie. buyers. Legislation. lUglsha, all 510. It is hoped to introduce a Trout Protection Ordinance early in 1936. ,439, 444, The preparation of a Fishery Ordinance has been postponed pending the development of a definite policy for controlling the industry. 511. As conditions along the Buddn coast of the Masaka district are such out in the that the use of small-mesh nets cannot harm the ngege fishery, the use of this type of net is now permitted (from May, 1935), in that locality throughout the year, and nch, three­ incidentally has removed a source of considerable grievance. small-mesh ~les to the Notes of General Interest. 512. ~J.1g,r..bus sp.-With reference to paragraph 442 (1934), the fish in the Berara river at Rubabu (not Ltlbaba) camp, Kigezi, are not Tilapia but a species of ·nted along Barbus believed to be altianalis eduardianus from Lake Edward. The District Commissioner, Mr. O. G. L. P. Powell caught several on a worm and small fly hook. He found them palatable but very bony.. . Jiles were 513. Tilapia nilotica.-Mr. Powell also informs me, that an enterprising Chief in the highlands of northern Kigezi several years ago stocked a small lake with Tilapia from Lake Edward: the .lake is now abundantly. stocked. 514. Fishing Extraordinary.-In February the District Commissioner, ~~\~ Bunyoro, Mr. E. Dauncy Tongue, O.B.E., in endeavouring to shoot a divinf) crocodile off Ndandamire shot a 43 Ibs. mputa (Nile perch) through the brain. . . I .,. 53 . 1 27'''1 3461 515. Economic Fisheries.-In 1935, the long rains broke at Entebbe on _~I~\ 10th April, and the effect of this climatic change on fish movement was soon noticeable 260 I 6B5 as the ngege at once moved away from the mainland coast to the deeper waters around i the Sese Islands and Kome. 56

516. Kagera Current.-According to the inhabitants'bn certain of the south­ east islands of the Sese group in the Victoria Nyanza the Kagera current is manifest by· the quan~ities of river flotsam which from time to time is deposited on their shores. 517. Massambwa Islands: Sango Bay.-A trip to these islands was made on 9th May to ascertain if possible whether the breeding of the Grey-headed Gull there has any connection with fish movements. The gulls begin to congregate on the largest island (of the group of three) which is a few acres in extent as soon as the long rains commence,. but apparently do not settle down to nesting until the principal rains which may last for six weeks are over. 518. Ooincident with the rains are certain fish movements about which at present practically nothing is known, and it is suggested "that not only climatic factors but also fish movements may influence the precise data at whicll nesting starts. 519. Unfortunately genera] breeding had not commenced by 9th May, and with the exception of the fact that the stomachs of several gulls examined contained the bones of small species of fish it was not possible [,0 obtain detailg of the gulls' diet. This ii:' best done when the young are in the nest. 520. These islands are extremely exposed and ~t· this 'season catch the full fury of the almost ceaseless storms from open lake. During May they can only with difficulty be visited by launch owing to the stormy c<;mditions along th!';l Buddu coast: in June it is unwise to r:isk the journey along this exposed stretch.. In both these months the trip can be made by canoe if one chooses one's time, usually either very early or late in the day, from Kyabasimba or Sango Bay, 'the single journey taking about one-and-a-half hours with good paddlers. 521. The experience can be most terrifying as the swell from the open lake is tremendous, and one may have to travel broadside on most of the way to huge rollers the best part of thirteen feet in height. 522. The shallows of the Sango Bay region abound with the whitebait or mukene and nkeje, bnt the former though preyed on principally by the terns is probably too small and too active for the more clumsy gull. 523. Mputa Mortality.-During December for a few days enormous numbers or carcases of huge mputa (Nile perch) were seen floating over a large area in Lake Albert, and this wide-spread mortality extended from Kibiro to Panyamur. From a launch or ship hundreds of the gleaming white, bloated carcases could be counted at anyone time. .. 524. There appears to be considerable unexplained mortality on a .minor scale alway's among the Nile perch, which is too frequent to be due to natural causes. It is the larger fish which are invariably affected. The occasional widespread mortality on a vast scale has also never been satisfactorily explained, and none of the various theories put forward are accepted as this curious mortality is evidentlv confined to the Nile perch, and no other species seems to be involved. • 525. Investigations concerning the causal factor would not be easy, for with a water temperature as high as 80°F., postmortem 00mplications set in immediately after death, and to obtain any useIul data live fish would have to be caught in the region in which the mortality originated, and af' this is probably in deep water short of tmwling they would not be easy to obtain: Tens of thousands of gigantic fish m~lst have succumbed either from disease or a cataclysm during this December happenmg. (8) ANGLING. (a) Trout. 526. Brown Trout.-On the 14th July, vide fooWJ.ote to page 76 of 1934 Annual Report, the Game Warden observed several fine trout including some which must .have exceeded a p01U1d in weight, in a pool just below the bridge (Fort Portal to the Kazinga Ohannel and Katwe) over the Mubuku river. 527 .. These fish were evidently washed away in the·next flood and apparently had not put III another appearance when the year closed. 528. There is no possibility of a mistake in identity as there is no African species which resembles the trout. Also, the barbel (Barbus- altianalis eduardianus) 57 . - which are always in the river at the bridge gleam a rich golden on the flanks and ,he south­ have a most conspicuous, triangular dorsal fin of a rather exaggerated size. ; manifest ang~er ,ir shores. 529. These barbel afford the excellent sport and can be talten with a , trout spoon and, better still, with grass-hopper. . ; made on F~rth~r Gull there 530. investigations are being made in 1936, to try and locate tr'out in the higher reaches of the Mubuku river, where possibly the streams may run a ,te on t.he t~alslac1.ter, Ion as the good but which unfortunately ar-e not easily accessible. ~ principal (b) Tllapia Nigra. 531. Angling. for Tilapia was permitted during the" last few months of the t which at year on Lake Bunyonyi, but in spite of the exhaustive efforts of several keen fishermen ttic factors never a fish was caught. ,rts. _ , 532. This lack of success is attributable. to the fact that T. nigra for the l May, and time being at any rate, if not permanently, has been-overwhelmed by Tilapia nilotica i contained a species which is restricted to a vegetarian diet and al111Pst impossible to take with gulls' met. rod and line. tch the full .n only with uddu (wast: l bo.th these ENTEBBFi, C. R. S. PITMAN. either very MARCH, 1936. Game Warden, Uganda Protectorate. lrney faking

,e open lake Nay to huge whitebait or the terns is

, enormous a large area l Panyamur. ',es could be on a minor ;uraJ causes. widespread md none of is evidently e easy, for ,ions set in have to be probab'W in ;f thousands during this ,

76 of 1934 some which (Fort Portal

1 apparently no African :duardianus)