KENYA (11) 307 
giraffes on horseback the chase is often much too long and in con- 
sequence permanent damage may be done to the giraffes’ hearts. 
The transportation of giraffes by rail presents a problem in 
Kenya because of the lowness of the bridges. For this reason cap- 
ture is limited to animals of from seven to a maximum of eleven 
feet. It is surprising how quickly these creatures become tame, 
and once they lose their fear of humans show none of the nervous 
panicky mannerisms of some of the antelopes. 
Giraffes, in spite of their great height, cover a very small floor 
space, and so a crate seven feet square allows plenty of room for 
moving freely around, which it should be able to do. It is a great 
mistake to box them like horses with no room to turn round; for 
one thing they need to be able to splay their legs in a rough sea 
to balance their great height. It is amusing to watch a giraffe 
when a boat has a heavy roll, for actually it remains bolt upright, 
usually chewing the cud with a rather supercilious look on its face, 
while the boat sways violently from side to side. To aid the giraffe 
in this balancing act the bedding must be kept very deep in the 
box so that the animal can get a firm purchase with its feet. A 
plain wooden floor in a rough sea can be very dangerous, for on 
it a giraffe will slip and injure itself. 
Among other things I acquired here were three Ground Horn- 
bills. These are large grotesque-looking birds with rather long 
legs and small feet and have a peculiar way of walking on their 
toes, giving the impression of a woman in high-heeled shoes that 
are too tight for her. To add to their bizarre appearance there are 
naked folds of red skin on the throat. Ground Hornbills are 
highly intelligent and amusing, but the feature that attracts most 
attention is their long upsweeping eyelashes, which are the envy 
of all beauty-conscious damsels. 
The largest of these three specimens—the only adult—must 
have been really hungry when he arrived in my hands, for he 
devoured in quick succession six full-grown rats that had been 
killed in a nearby shed. These he swallowed whole, though the 
larger rats certainly took a lot of gulping before finally disappear- 
ing, tail last. 
From Nanyuki I made the journey round the north side of the 
mountain to the eastern slopes and the town of Meru. Here I met 
