CH. xii] BONGO 359 



grew they usually clicked out all other plants. Dela- 

 inere had killed several giant hogs with his hal (-breed 

 hounds ; but on this occasion the hounds woidd not 

 follow them. On three days we came across bongo ; 

 once a solitary bull, on both the other occasions herds. 

 We never saw them, although we heard the solitary 

 bull crash ofi' through the bamboos ; for they are very 

 wary and elusive, being incessantly followed by the 

 'Ndorobo. They are as large as native bullocks, with 

 handsomely striped skins, and both sexes carry horns. 

 On each of the three days we followed them all day 

 long, and it was interesting to trace so much as we 

 could of their habits. Their trails are deeply beaten, 

 and converge toward the watercourses, which run 

 between the steep, forest-clad spurs of the mountains. 

 They do not graze, but browse, cropping the leaves, 

 Howers, and twigs of various shrubs, and eating thistles ; 

 they are said to eat bark, but this our 'Ndorobo denied. 

 'I'liey are also said to be nocturnal, feeding at night, and 

 lying up in the daytime ; but this was certainly not the 

 case with those we came across. IJoth of the herds, 

 whicli we followed patiently and cautiously for hours 

 without alarming them, were feeding as they moved 

 slowly along. One herd lay down for a few hours at 

 noon ; the other kept feeding until mid-afternoon, when 

 we alarmed it; and the animals then went straight up the 

 mountain over the rimrock. It was cold rainy weather, 

 and the dark of the moon, which may perhaps have had 

 something to do with the bongo being on the move and 

 feeding during the day ; but the 'Ndorobo said that they 

 never fed at night — I of course know nothing about this 

 personally. Leopards catch the young bongo and giant 

 hog, but dare not meddle with those that are full-grown. 

 The forest which they frequent is so dense, so wcllnigh 



