BEYOND THE SUDD 279 



of the river. In wetter seasons they are distributed far 

 and wide, so long- as water exists in the khors inland, 

 and only draw down to the Nile when all else is dried 

 up. That may not occur until the month of March. 

 There are, however, known watering-places a few marches 

 inland in the neighbourhood of which elephants may 

 always be found. 



Two curious incidents befell in these woods : Close 

 in front of our course grew a thick leafy bush among 



STRIPED HYENA, SHOT NEAR GONDOKORO. 



waist-deep grass. Though not particularly looking that 

 way, a glimpse of something that quickly vanished behind 

 the bush caught my eye. Had we been at home it 

 might have been the tip of a fox's brush. By retracing 

 a step or two, within a few seconds I circled round 

 behind the bush and at once saw, through a tracery of 

 grass-tops, the outline of a broad flat head ; the ears 

 being laid flat a-back, looked small, and I half-thought 

 the crouching beast might be a lioness, so lost no time 

 in placing a Paradox ball between neck and shoulder. 

 The animal proved to be a striped hyena, male, weight 

 70 Ib. This hyena had been lying asleep in the shade, 



