xxxi GAME RESERVES 313 



contain." Such an idea would be entirely mistaken. 

 At certain seasons of the year, at all events, probably 

 more than half the total head of game in the Reserve 

 can be seen from the train. The small section of the 

 Athi plains cut off to the west of the Railway contains the 

 only good piece of grazing in the whole Reserve, and the 

 ofame which is concentrated on it is able to drink at the 

 upper waters of the Athi. The fact that this good 

 strip of grazing runs parallel to the line is productive 

 of both good and bad. It is, on the one hand, 

 eminently desirable that the animals sheltered in a 

 sanctuary should minister as far as possible to the 

 pleasure of the public ; and it cannot be denied that 

 the glorious vista of animal life seen from the train 

 windows yearly affords gratification to thousands of 

 those who travel on the Uganda Railway. More- 

 over, its presence adds materially to the revenue of both 

 the railway and the Protectorate. On the other 

 hand, the false impression created that a large tract of 

 fine grazing and agricultural country is being held up 

 in the interests of game is the cause of curious and 

 envious eyes being cast on a region that is really most 

 undesirable. 



In the Southern Game Reserve are included some 

 fair herds of elephant, an increasing number of buffalo, 

 plenty of rhinoceros, perhaps fifty Greater Kudu of 

 both sexes, a fair amount of eland, and waterbuck, 

 and an abundance of Lesser Kudu, giraffe (common), 

 Oryx callotis, common zebra, gerenuk, wildebeeste, 

 impala, Grant's gazelle, Thomson's gazelle, reedbuck, 

 and Coke's hartebeeste. 



As I have said, the railway line forms the eastern 

 boundary of the Reserve, and to the east of the line 

 comes a settled area. The farmers in this area con- 



