ANIMAL LIFE OF THE COUNTRY. 27 



have much finer coats than those from Southern India and the Straits. Upland 

 lions have generally better skins than those of the lowlands, and those from very hot 

 countries are sometimes very lacking in mane. An apparent exception to this rule is 

 the maneless or nearly maneless Masai lion, which inhabits the upland plains and 

 also is found in the bush belt passed through before reaching the high country. 



In the colder highlands it would appear that he ought to be furnished with a 

 better mane, but on the Athi Plains, although at night it is cold, during the day 

 the sun is very fierce, so possibly he finds his maneless coat better suited to the 

 requirements of the country than would be a thickly maned coat. For during the 

 cold of the night he is on the move, while during the heat of the day he is lying 

 down. The best manes come from still higher and colder plateaux, such as the 

 Guas Ngishu. Those animals which are only found in cold or only found in hot 

 countries generally follow the rule of thicker and better coats in the former and 

 thinner in the latter. With these, however, such a strict adherence to this rule is 

 not so necessary as with animals inhabiting both countries, as they are presumably 

 acclimatised to whichever country they inhabit. 



For instance, the various goats and sheep that live in the Pamirs, Himalayas, 

 Rockies, and other cold places are provided with ample coats, both species 

 being essentially adapted for life in mountainous and cold regions. 



Their only representatives amongst African game animals seem to be the sheep 

 of Barbary and the ibex of Ethiopia and the Soudan. 



In countries where there is a considerable difference in temperature between 

 the cold and hot seasons animals are often provided with two coats — the summer 

 and winter. The latter grows as the cold weather approaches and is shed when it 

 is over. An instance of such is the Bactrian camel. 



In East Africa a great part of the country is highland and often very cold. 



There appears to be no evidence, though, of the highland game having anything 

 unusual in the way of coats. The reason for this is that with the majority of the 

 game different species inhabit the higher and the lower regions and do not pass 

 between them. Thus, on the highland plains are found Grant's zebras. Coke's and 

 Jackson's hartebeests, Grant's and Thomson's gazelles, in great numbers. As soon 

 as the lower- lying hot and arid plains towards Lake Rudolf are reached the Grevy's 

 zebra, oryx beisa, and Soemering's gazelle take the place of the above-named 

 species. 



With the rhino, as nearly all his hair-producing energy appears to be thrown 

 into the formation of his horns, the cold-country animals should have longer and 

 better horns than those of the hotter countries. Although most of the best horns 



