8 AFRICAN GAME ANIMALS 



years of travel in East Africa, Fischer collected many species 

 of small mammals and birds. 



Joseph Thomson spent the years from 1883 to 1884 in a 

 journey of discovery through East Africa, proceeding from 

 Mombasa westward to Kilimanjaro and northwest to Lake 

 Naivasha. Journeying northward beyond Naivasha, he dis- 

 covered the much larger lake, Baringo. From this point 

 he travelled westward and was the first European to reach 

 the slopes of Mount Elgon. Leaving Elgon, he continued 

 on down the course of the 'Nzoi River to its mouth on the 

 northeast shore of the Victoria Nyanza. During his journey 

 he discovered the gazelle which was named for him by 

 Doctor Gunther from a few pairs of horns which he pre- 

 sented to the British Museum. His account of the animals 

 met with is very meagre, but the plants which he collected 

 during his travels received considerable attention in the 

 narrative he published. 



We owe to Sir John Willoughby the first extensive ac- 

 count of the game animals of East Africa. Willoughby 

 together with Harvey and Hunter were the first men to 

 visit the country on an expedition solely devoted to the 

 shooting of big game. The region from Mombasa west- 

 ward to the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro was visited by 

 Willoughby and Harvey, who reported for the first time the 

 presence of the gerenuk and both the lesser and greater 

 koodoo in the coast district of East Africa. Hunter made a 

 journey up the Tana River, where he discovered the peculiar 

 hartebeest, Beatragus hunteri, which has been named for 

 him, and further reported the first occurrence of oryx, 

 topi, and oribi in East Africa. 



After the initial visit of these three sportsmen many 



