KUNGL. SV. VET. AKADBMIENS HANDLINGAR. BAND 48. N:0 5. 



11 



Distribution 



of genus or 



subgenus 



Distribution 



of species 



and closely 



allied forms 



Steppe-mammals 



Plains S. of Tana 

 river 



grass- or 



bush 



steppe 



open 

 steppe 



Acacia 

 steppe S 

 of Guaso 



Nyiri 



Es. 

 Ea 



Se. 



Ea. 



» 



A. 



E(S). 



E(S). 

 E. 



S(e). 



Se. 



S. 



E. 



E(s). 



Kobua ellipaiprymnus canescena LSnnbbrq 



(Redunca sp.) 



JBpyceroa melampua (rendilia LonNB.) . . . 

 Oazella thomaoni Guntheb 



» granti Bbooke 



» » lacuum Neumann 



Lithocraniua walleri (Bbooke) 



Oryx beiaa annectena Hollisteb 



Taurotragua oryx patteraonicmus Lydeckee 



Buffelua ca/fer radcUffei Thomas 



Orycteropua subsp 



( + ) 



-f- 



( + ) 



-I- 

 -I- 



+ 



+ 



-f 



-I- 

 -f- 



-I- 

 -I- 



On the northern side of Guaso Nyiri the landscape is quite different from that 

 of the southern side. The river forms to a great extent a geological boundary line 

 between the southern formerly volcanic district, and the northern with archaic rocks 

 and gravel. It is true that in some few places the black lava extends across the 

 present river-bed so that the river has had to cut itself a canyon through these black 

 rocks, as is the case at and below Chanler Falls. At such places there are certain areas 

 strewn with the sharp-edged, slag-like stones also on the northern side of the river. 

 On the whole, however, the ground there consists of very hard-packed gravel, so hard 

 indeed that not even the foot of an Elephant or a Rhinoceros makes any visible 

 impression. This gravel is mostly somewhat rust-coloured but in some places quartz 

 stones are numerous. In some localities the soil is more sandy, especially near the 

 river. The ground is then, by the tramping and treading of many generations of game 

 animals, covered with a layer of dust in which the spoors are plainly printed. The 

 same is also the case in the numerous game paths which lead down to the river. 

 The type of vegetation is »thornbush» and it consists of a great number of mostly 

 thorny, spiny, and prickly bushes of many different kinds. A common kind is a fun- 

 nel-shaped acacia 3 — 4 m. in height, or more, with a narrow base but a broad, flat 

 top. Other acacia-bushes have long slender branches and twigs with small but sharp 

 hooks. Some bushes have thick branches with yellowish bark, others have dark brown 

 bark, but the prevailing colour in the leafless thornbush is grey. Many different 

 families and genera of bushes are represented in this landscape, but during the dry 

 season when all branches are bare and naked it is difficult to form any opinion about 

 them. Some acacias showed their yellow cylindrical flower brushes, slightly reminding 

 about willows. A small pale greyish bush displayed pink flowers with crimson inside, 

 shaped as those of a Convolvulus. Once I saw large yellow flowers in the top of a 

 big bush and a few times large crimson flowers. 



Some slender bushes have dry yellow berries with hard seeds. These berries 

 have a sweetish taste somewhat like raisins, but I did not observe if they were eaten. 



