ORYX, ELA.ND, IMPALA, ETC. 99 



the elands were no longer there, nor did we see a single 

 buffalo, while of giraile only five or six laggards re- 

 mained behind. We saw but two more rhinos, one of 

 which, though quite unmolested, made a determined 

 charge on my hunter, Elmi, who, being unprepared and 

 only a few yards from the beast, had a narrow escape. 

 The main bodies of all these animals had temporarily 

 retired, probably from lack of water, and presumably 

 northwards, beyond the Tangulwee River (now dry), 

 into the sanctuary of the 8ugota Reserve. 



August 26. — From midday till dusk a storm of 

 locusts, passing northwards, darkened the sky and 

 covered our camp. Next day, never a locust in sight, 

 but the huge marabous sat gape-full on the trees — 

 actually unable to close their beaks ! 



I do not know if hartebeests are ever common at 

 Baringo,^ but this family of antelopes is so numerous and 

 so characteristic of British East- African plains that their 

 absence here was remarkable, the few we saw being all 

 Buhalis jachsoni. Members of another group were, 

 however, extremely abundant here, namely, the dikdiks, 

 or grass-antelopes. These small animals, some species 

 of which are no bigger than a hare, lie close in long grass 

 or low bush, and bound away from underfoot in a series 

 of leaps that defy a rifle-ball, even were it convenient to 

 fire one. But on days when we went out expressly with 

 a shot-gun, not a dikdik could we see. One afternoon, 

 while lying half-asleep under a mimosa, resting during 

 the midday heat, I was awakened by a curious whistle 

 close by, and cautiously looking up, observed a small 

 horned animal intently watching me, and secured it with 

 No. 6 shot from the Paradox, which luckily lay within 

 arm's length. This proved to be Madoqua gueritheri, 

 a thoroughbred little antelope, though its tiny annulated 

 horns only measured 2| ins. in length, and the best we 

 have since shot barely exceeded 2|- ins. The nose is 

 remarkably prolonged and prehensile, extending c|uite 



1 The Mugitani River practically marks the Dorthern limit of 

 Jackson's hartebeest in the Rift Yalley. 



