KUNGL. SV. VET. AKADEMIENS HANDLINGAR. BAND 48. N:O 5. 11 
 —Q nn 
— = ; S 
SET Sr Plains S. of Tana 
Datknibetien. river Acacia 
| 
Distribution ; A | , Å 
| S S I | ste e 
I of genus or | RP SCIER Steppe-mammals eppe 
I and closely | BRAFPTAOr ING Der of Guaso 
subgenus | lied f | bush ER ; Nvyiri 
| allied forms | steppe stepp«e 
A. E (S). | Kobus ellipsiprymnus canescens LÖNNBERG . . ss sccc 5 : | E 
— (FRE UNC CUBE SE SRS SERA SAS SPA NE IS RE a (+) 
Es. E (S). | ZEpyceros melampus (rendilis LÖNNB.) < . ss a se ss + e vis : ISTER) + 
Ea E: QG2ellarthomsont GUNTHBRINSC) »fefild dk. fl sis STI é | I 
FRAPIITBROO ETEN 3 ce stastkste ee EG dr ske onen > : + 
S(e). > lacuum NEUMANN... 
Se. Se. Fauhkockarvvusiwallert (BROOEKB)A oc: « sc sc os ss Rs RR os A | d L 
| Es S: Oryx beisa annectens HOLLISTER 
| a. y 
» E. Taurotragus oryx pattersonianus LYDECKER 
| A. | E(s). Buffelus cajfer radecliffei "THOMAS 
| » — OmjeteropustsuPpsp-ratcd: otro ondt då sött + + 
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. 
