292 A COLONY IN THE MAKING chap. 



northern deserts, carrying in the latter districts the 

 better horns. An average specimen would be 14 inches, 

 anything over 16 inches being very good. 



Giraffe. — There are two varieties in the Protectorate. 

 The common variety, found in the southern and 

 inhabited portions, and the northern variety {reticulata), 

 occurring anywhere north of Likipia and being 

 especially numerous in the northern Game Reserve. 

 The southern variety has increased considerably in 

 the last ten years and is very numerous in certain 

 localities. I have seen as many as thirty in a herd 

 both in the Ithanga hills and on the southern Guaso 

 Nyero, and once more than seventy on the Serengati 

 plains. Giraffe are most interesting and delightful 

 beasts, and even those who have the most rooted 

 antipathy to wild animals have yet to find a particular 

 reason for the extermination of this species. Nature 

 has cursed the giraffe with a skin which forms the 

 most beautiful whip-lashes for bullocks in existence, and 

 is valuable accordingly. No Dutchman can be trusted 

 within miles of a herd, and will clear out any district 

 with great celerity. If the species carried in addition 

 horns to attract the sportsman and tusks to attract the 

 trader he would long ago have been as extinct as the 

 dodo, for he is easily ridden down and killed and has 

 no means of defence. The Borana and also Somalis 

 kill giraffe to make pots and buckets and, more especially 

 in the case of the Borana, for the sake of his tail, the 

 hairs of which they fashion into much prized necklaces — 

 another instance of the sacrifice of a lovely creature to 

 satisfy the vanity of the human species. The Abys- 

 sinians have exterminated their own giraffe some 

 years back, and are now starting on those in the Pro- 

 tectorate. All giraffe have the rudiments of five 



