— 89 — 



sessed plenty of roildish-hrowii rral)s. Tlirsr wcrr ail tlu.* iv- 

 sults of our iuvestipations of lake (.'hala. 



In tlio vicinity oF Ihr lakt\ cliiofly alon^'- tln^ hanks of ri- 

 ver l.nnii, a t^ood dral of Insecta were (,'auji:ht Thus, ofi tin- 

 very shore there Avere many drajifon-flies and on the ^rass 

 tliere were sitting scores of horned Diopsidae. In the plain 

 there were to he fonnd from time to time, besides the ordi- 

 nary grass-hojipers and Phasniidae. enormous Myrnieh^ontidac 

 with ornamented wing's. Near our camp scores of Hodotermes 

 mossiamhicus Mere running to and fro near their burrows 

 and in their intestine several species of Trichonymphidae 

 swarmed. The vertebrate fauna was very varied. Besides the 

 antelopes named above (see de.scription of the way from \'oi 

 to Taveta), we saw 2 species of pigs, heard the screaming 

 of hyenas, saw tra(es of lions, and once came across a large 

 rhynoceros The l)irds were most abundantly represented by 

 francolins and guinea-fowls which sometimes congregate 



into coveys of about 80 40 birds, and about 2, 3 and more 

 coveys can l)e seen together. 



From lake Chala we started to the Jvtst, to the large lake 

 Jipe situated 10 — 15 miles on the other side of Taveta. This 

 lake is a fnll contrast to the lake Chala described above. It is a 

 lake of the plain, probal)ly not deep, with sloping shores densely 

 grown with reed. Only in two places there are apertures 

 in the wall of reeds, where it is possible to approach the 

 water immediately. The lake is simply swarming with croco- 

 diles (we sncceeded in killing one and getting from him 

 material on histology); besides, hyppopotamus are to be found 

 in it, their grunting was distinctly heard. We wished to study 

 the fauna more minutely here, but, unfortunately we had to 

 stay only one day on its shores. In the evening of this single 

 day we were informed from the Taveta District Commi.ssi- 

 oner, M-r Lafontaine, that the great European conflict has 

 begun, and we had to think of getting further from the dan- 

 gerous neighbourhood of the (jerman frontier ami return to 



