278 THE GAME OF BRITISH EAST AFRICA. 



ORYX, BEISA. 



Native Names. 



Swahili Cheroa. Rorana') „ . 



Rcndilc Ogorr. Galla J 



This animal is an inhabitant of waterless tracts. It is first met with, going northward, just 

 to the south of tlir Guaso Xgiro. On the north side of this stream it is plentiful, and from there 

 northwards it is met with in the low and dry countries of the Samburr, Rendilc, and Borana. 



A female roan facing one might at first sight be mistaken for an oryx, for in that position the 

 horns of the former often appear to be straight. Both have black and white markings on their 

 faces. With the roan the ground colour of the face is black, with white streaks under the eyes. 

 The oryx, on the other hand, has white for the ground colour, and on this is a black blaze and 

 black stripes under the eyes. 



ORYX, FRINGE-EARED. 



Native Name. 

 Swahili Cheroa. 



This animal is distinguished from the beisa by the hairy fringes at the extremities of its 

 cars. Its horns, also, are shorter and more curved than those of the beisa. It is a close relation 

 of the roan and sable. The horns of all these animals named tend to curve backwards. The 

 extreme case in the hippotragi is the sable, the horns of which are sometimes three-quarters of 

 the circumference of a circle. In the oryx the extreme case is the sabre-horned oryx. The 

 gemsbok and the beisa have the straightest horns of this group, but even these tend to curve 

 backwards slightly, and with some individuals it is more apparent than with others. So with the 

 fringe-eared oryx and the beisa, a straight-horned specimen of the former would not curve to a 

 greater extent than a particularly curved specimen of the latter. 



The fringe-eared oryx is found in the game reserve near Simba Station and at Lake Jipi and 

 about the Nyiri Swamps. It is also plentiful in the Taru Desert, especially in the waterless tract 

 between the railway line at about Makindu and the Tana River, and again is found in the 

 neighbourhood of the Serengeti Plains. 



The oryx and gazelle families are especially fitted for life in waterless places, the oryx more 

 so, perhaps, than the gazelle. It is almost a sure sign that wherever oryx are seen that there 

 water is scarce or non-existent in the vicinity. 



OSTRICH. 



Native Names. 



Swahili Mbuni. Ogiek (Ravine) Tiasongol. 



Kikuyu Nyaga. Masai E-sidai. 



Kitaita , 



This bird is very common on the plains. It is now preserved from being shot, but, under 

 special licence, the eggs may be collected or the young may be caught for the purposes of ostrich- 

 farming. Large herds of about forty birds are occasionally seen. A single male grazing alone 

 generally means that there is a nest in the vicinity. An occasional unfertile egg is dropped by 



