Where the surface does not show the type of clues described above, Trackers here have special observation techniques. They look for spitting marks, or marks of animal or human excreta or of urination, etc., which attracts ants and other insects. The presence of such insects and ants around the excreta, spittle, urine, etc., give them, sometimes, an idea of the type of animal concerned and the number of human beings around those animals.
Tracking over grassy ground interspersed with light dusty surfaces involves two separate types of observations: one — noting the inclination of some grass stumps against the surrounding grass stumps, and the other — noting the foot impressions on the soft dust, either interspersed with the grassy growths or on clearer dusty ground. It is rather curious to note that a Tracker working on these types of ground can almost accurately say the time elapsed since the footprints were made by the difference in the angles of inclination made on a particular type of growth of grassy stump. I tested this observation myself by pressing upon a particular type of growth and comparing its inclination with that of the untrodden stumps im mediately, at the end of an hour, and at the end of twelve hours. Unless the stump is trodden several times, it attains its original position (i.e., before it was trodden) in about twenty-four hours; but during the rainy season and winter they attain their original position much earlier.
