410 AFRICAN GAME ANIMALS 



the bottom stems. It was a pretty sight, as the white 

 plumage gUstened in the sun, and it generally enabled us to 

 know just where the herd was. There was no food for the 

 buffaloes in the papyrus, and evidently they liked to rest in 

 the open no less than to graze there. We saw them outside, 

 on the grassy plains, even half a mile away from the papy- 

 rus, grazing or lying down, at every hour of the day. We 

 found them grazing outside the reed beds for a couple of 

 hours after sunrise and then retiring to their wet and gloomy 

 fastness. We also saw them come out to graze in the 

 early afternoon, and return to the swamp shortly before 

 sunset. We also found them lying down in the open at 

 about ten in the morning, and up and grazing almost at 

 high noon. There was evidently no invariable routine; 

 and of course these buffalo could get water at any time 

 they wished. 



On the banks of the Northern Guaso Nyiro we found that 

 the buffaloes came down to the river to drink every night. 

 Evidently they thought the strip of thick tree jungle alongside 

 the river too narrow to harbor them, and by dawn they were 

 well on their way back to the dry flats and sparse, parched 

 thorn jungle which covered the country away from the 

 river. When we were there the withered thorn-trees gave 

 almost no shade; and while the buffaloes rested, standing or 

 lying, the sun shone pitilessly on the black bodies. Follow- 

 ing the trails from the river, we generally found the animals 

 resting; but we found one herd feeding quite late in the fore- 

 noon and another feeding at almost noon. The scent of 

 the buffalo is as keen as that of the elephant or rhino, and 

 its sight far better, so that it is much more difficult to stalk. 

 We never saw anything in the nature of a sentinel; the 



