166 EINAR LONNBBRG, MAMMALS COLLECTED BY THE SWEDISH ZOOLOGICAL EXPEDITION ETC. 



In the thornbush country the Impalas occurred in small flocks usually counting 

 from 7 — 8 to about 15. As has been observed at other localities as well, such a flock 

 sometimes consists of a good buck and a number of females and young bucks which 

 not yet have fully developed horns, sometimes there are no adult buck at all to be 

 seen in the flock, and sometimes 7 — 8 adult bucks live together without having a 

 single female or young buck in company. It is more seldom single bucks wander 

 alone or only two in company. When we were camping at Guaso Nyiri the Impalas 

 were as a rule seen near the river, and at the water-places Njoro and Thera as well 

 they lived not far from the water-holes. When not on the move their favourite haunts 

 appeared to be the bushes fringing the dry beds and ravines of the small rivulets 

 and water-courses. There the Impalas have a good cover. Often some evergreen 

 bushes grow in such localities, and these may be the only green food available during 

 the dry season in this country. 



When alarmed they warn the others with a sharp sniff or whistling snort and 

 make some wonderful bounds high above the bushes before they start on their re- 

 gular flight in a certain direction with full speed. It is evident that they make 

 these high leaps out of curiosity and to try to find out from where and from whom 

 the danger threatens. 



On the acaciasteppe south of Guaso Nyiri Impalas were seen in bushes near 

 Lekiundu river, but as I did not shoot any specimen there I cannot tell whether they 

 were of the same race as those of the thornbush. 



Gazella thomsoni Gunthbb. 



ScLATEE & Thomas: Book of Antelopes, Vol. 3, p. 171. 



The beautiful little »Tommies» are still common on the plains around Nairobi 

 and at Juja farm. Unlike the Grant gazelles they do not extend their distribution 

 much further north east. Like the Kongoni and the White-bearded Gnu they were 

 non existent on the acacia-steppe south of Guaso Nyiri. They belong thus to the 

 East African fauna in a restricted sense. 



Where they are not pursued the Tommies are the most confiding of the ante- 

 lopes of the plains, but where they are often shot at, they become very shy and 

 run for their lifes even at very long distances, and long before they are within range 

 for a rifle. 



Gazella granti Brooke. 



ScLATEB & Thomas: Book of Antelopes, Vol. Ill, p. 179. 



Not less shan six subspecies of Grants Gazelle have been named and these 

 have been revi'fewed not long ago in Lydekker's book on the sGame Animals of 

 Africa* (1908). The variabiUty of the species is, however, great and, although some 

 of the races appear to be well defined, it is sometimes rather difficult to form a 



