TIANG 89 



cepting our course. These, of course, we should have 

 preferred to the biggest tiang in all Sudan ; but an exhaus- 

 tive survey with the glass revealed quite inferior heads, so 

 we withdrew and passed on, leaving the twain in peace. 



But . . . was there ever such obstructive luck? Hardly 

 had we gained the opposite covert, than in an embayed 

 inlet we found ourselves face to face with two mighty 

 giraffe! Both were browsing upon tall camel -thorns 

 (Acacia korrida\ twice their own height ; but while the 

 nearer showed up pale creamy-fulvous in hue, the second 

 appeared quite dark. The discrepancy was, however, 

 merely the effect of light and shade ; for, while one giraffe 

 happened to stand in full sunlight, the other was screened 

 from the sun by intervening trees. 



We had been charged by the British Museum to bring 

 home an entire specimen of the dark-coloured "reticulated 

 giraffe " ; so that (while assured in my own mind that 

 that species does not exist in the Sudan nor does it) I felt 

 in duty bound to put my doubts to the proof. Within 

 a few minutes we had crept in near enough to satisfy 

 ourselves that both giraffes were identical in colour the 

 common Sudan species. 



Precious minutes were lost both in the stalk and after- 

 wards in extricating ourselves from the sight and scent 

 of our long-necked friends, whom we left still browsing 

 and unconscious of the interview. Meanwhile our tiang 

 had got a mile away, circling round almost to leeward. 

 During these protracted manoeuvres we had observed a 

 second herd of tiang, and these now stood well up-wind 

 and among big forest-trees. The midday sun was un- 

 speakably hot, and I feared, after two obstructed stalks, 

 that that first herd was not destined to be mine. Resolu- 

 tion failed and, quite inexcusably, we transferred our 

 efforts to what appeared to be an easier chance. I shall 

 always regret that weakness, for our much-tried herd, 

 we knew, held first-class heads ; while, as the event 

 proved, herd No. 2 did not. 



