A SMALL HERD 



pronounced as in the case of young bulls. This may- 

 be explained perhaps (and I only offer this as a 

 suggestion) by the fact that the horns in the females 

 are shorter and lack the strong backward bend so 

 noticeable in the bulls. 



Of the nine other hartebeestes that completed 

 the group, seven were females and two calves, of 

 about two months old. During the month of January 

 I saw several other young calves, varying in age 

 between a few days and two months, which would 

 seem to indicate that the cows drop their young 

 generally about the beginning of December, which is 

 somewhat earlier than is the case with the Lelwel 

 hartebeeste. But I did not see a sufficient number 

 of them to be certain of this, and I could not get any 

 reliable evidence from the two guides I had with 

 me, who were the only men in the caravan who had 

 ever seen them before. However, one of the syces 

 who came from the interior of Italian Somaliland 

 near the Webbe Shebeyli, on seeing the first arrola 

 that I killed, maintained with the utmost conviction 

 that he had seen similar animals in his own country, 

 but I think it almost certain he was mistaken, although 

 there are large unexplored areas in those regions. 



The majority of the group I was watching were 

 lying down, but there was a sentinel on guard as 

 usual. Now and again one would get up, feed in 

 a desultory manner for a few seconds, and then lie 

 down again, while once, apparently for no reason, 

 the two young bulls rose simultaneously and started 

 fighting though without much vindictiveness, and as 

 abruptly left off to resume their "siesta." 



During the whole time I was watching them they 

 made no noise of any kind, but when alarmed or 



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