1885.] FAUNA OF KILIMA-NJARO. 217 



valley of a stream in broad daylight. I think it had been sleeping 

 by the water and was suddenly aroused by my near approach and 

 too dazed to run off immediately. I shot at a Lion once and 

 missed him, and the king of beasts, after looking at me over liis 

 shoulder, magnanimously trotted off. 



The most common Dog is the Side-striped Jackal. There is a 

 wild Dog found on Kilimanjaro which barks loudly. It is quite 

 nocturnal, and I have never been able to shoot it ; but judging 

 from its appearance in bright moonlight it is somewhat like the 

 Abyssinian Dog. The natives know it by a different name than 

 that applied to the Jackal. 



Hysenas are very common, and both species. Striped and Spotted, 

 are present ; but the Striped Hysena more aifects the hills, while the 

 Spotted kind inhabits the plains. The Spotted Hysena is a much 

 more predatory animal here than one generally imagines. Not only 

 does it steal sheep and calves from the herds, but it even carries off 

 children, and will often attack wounded and weakly men. I once 

 sent a sick man back to the coast a short distance by himself, and 

 he was severely bitten at night by the HyBenas. He succeeded, 

 however, in beating them off, and recovered from his wounds. 



Civets and Genets are very common ; so also are one or two 

 species of Ichneumon. I noticed no kind of Weasel, Ratel, or 

 Badger. 



The Orycteropus, or Ant-bear, is common on the plains, to judge 

 by his many huge burrows ; but I have never seen him, and only 

 identify him from natives' description. 



Among the Rodentia there were few that came under my notice. 

 The Porcupine is fairly common ; and there are divers small Mice. 

 One of them I caught in a trap, and made some drawings of, which 

 are here to-night. Unfortunately its skin, in common with that of a 

 small black Rat infesting natives' houses, was lost. 



I have brought home skins of a species of Tree-Hyrax which is 

 found on Kilima-njaro between the altitudes of 7000 and 11,000 

 feet. 1 also prepared its skull and skeleton ; but these, along with 

 some other skins of mammals, were accidentally left behind at 

 Taveita when I started for the coast. I did, however, send word to 

 those of my followers left behind to bring them back and hand them 

 over to Sir Johp Kirk to forward to England. The Hyrax is much 

 sought after by the Wa-chaga for its warm, furry skin, which is 

 made into cloaks. 



The Elephant inhabits Kilima-njaro up to a great height. I have 

 seen two females and a young one at an altitude of 13,000 feet. 

 The ivory of this part of Africa is considered superior to any other 

 by the merchants of Zanzibar. Round the base of the mountains 

 the Rhinoceros is very abundant ; and in Lake Jipe Hippopotami 

 are found. The Zebra {Equus chapmanni) is found in incredible 

 quantities in the plains round Kilima-njaro. In fact, the vast herds 

 of varied game which pasture on the level country between the 

 Snow Mountains and the coast remind one of the tales of Gordon 

 Gumming. 



