SELOUS, FREDERICK COURTNEY British explorer and hunter, was born in London on Dec. 31, 1851, and was educated at Rugby and in Germany. He went out to South Africa when he was 19, travelled from the Cape to Mata beleland, reached early in 1872, and was granted permission by Lobengula to shoot game anywhere in his dominions. From that date until 189o, with a few brief intervals spent in England, Selous hunted and explored over the then little-known regions north of the Transvaal and south of the Congo basin, shooting elephants and collecting specimens of all kinds for museums and private collections. His travels added largely to the know ledge of Rhodesia. In 1890 he entered the service of the British South Africa company, acting as guide to the pioneer expedition to Mashonaland. Over 400 m. of road were constructed through a country of forest, mountain and swamp, and in two and a half months Selous took the column safely to its destination. He then went east to Manica, concluding arrangements there which brought the country under British control. He gave a summary of his travels in "Twenty Years in Zambesia" (Geo. Journ. vol. i.,
1893). He returned to Africa to take part in the first Matabele War (1893), being wounded during the advance on Bulawayo. In March 1896 he settled with his wife on an estate in Matabeleland. He published an account of the Matabele campaign, entitled Sun shine and Storm in Rhodesia (1896). On the restoration of peace Selous settled in England. He continued, however, to make shoot ing and hunting expeditions—visiting Asia Minor, Newfoundland, the Canadian Rockies and other parts of the world. He wrote several books and many articles.
During the World War he served in the East African campaign in the legion of frontiersmen (25th Royal Fusiliers). He was killed in action at Beho Beho on Jan. 4, 1917. His collection of trophies was given by his widow to the Natural History Museum, London, where in June 1920 a national memorial to him was un veiled. A Selous scholarship was also founded at his old school, Rugby.
See J. G. Millais, Life of Frederick Courtney Selous (1918).