THE GUASO NYERO 297 



to have a definite calving time September.* I shot only 

 bulls (there was no meat, either for the porters or ourselves, 

 except what I got with the rifle), and they were so wary that 

 almost all those I killed were shot at ranges between three 

 hundred and five hundred yards; and at such ranges I 

 need hardly say that 1 did a good deal of missing. One 

 wounded bull which, the ground being favorable, I gal- 

 loped down, turned to bay and threatened to charge the 

 horse. We weighed one bull; it tipped the scales at four 

 hundred pounds. The lion kills we found in this neighbor- 

 hood were all oryx and zebra; and evidently the attack was 

 made in such fashion that the oryx had no more chance to 

 fight than the zebra. 



The zebra were of both species, the smaller or Burchell's, 

 and the Grevy's, which the porters called kangani. Each 

 animal went in herds by itself, and almost as frequently 

 we found them in mixed herds containing both species. 

 But they never interbreed, and associate merely as each 

 does with the oryx. The kangani is a fine beast, much 

 bigger than its kinsman; it is as large as a polo pony. It is 

 less noisy than the common zebra, the "bonte quagga" of 

 the Boers, and its cry is totally different. Its gaits are a 

 free, slashing trot and gallop. When it stands facing one 

 the huge fringed ears make it instantly recognizable. The 

 stripes are much narrower and more numerous than those 

 on the small zebra, and in consequence cease to be dis- 

 tinguishable at a shorter distance; the animal then looks 



* Of course this represents only one man's experience. I wish there were many 

 such observations. On the Athi in May I found new-born wildebeest and harte- 

 beest calves, and others several months old. In June in the Sotik I saw new-born 

 eland calves, and topi calves several months old. In September on the Guaso Nyero 

 all the oryx calves were new-born. The zebra foals were also very young. 



