INSECTS OF LEIKIPIA 



411 



is very probably also the material of the main range. Vege- 

 tation was entirely absent except in the ravine through which 

 flowed the Ngare Nyuki, the course of which, from its rise 

 half-way from Kenia to its mouth in the Ngare JNyiro, we 

 could trace quite distinctly. 



The Guaso Nyiro forms the eastern boundary of the district 

 inhabited by the Masai, and beyond it the landscape appears 

 to be deserted alike by wild animals and man. True, we saw 

 several Masai kraals on the left bank of the river, but they had 

 evidently not been occupied for years. 



By a little half-dried-up brook, which we reached after 

 many hours' tramp, we came upon a few elands, gazelle 

 Thomsonii, and ostriches. We also added to our entomological 

 collection. So far the insects we had noticed in Leikipia had 

 been merely common house-flies and a large kind of dragon-fly, 

 but on the isolated acacia bushes by this stream we found 

 numerous examples of the Buprestis beetle, more than two 

 inches long, and we caught a tree-frog spotted with black and 

 white. 1 Towards midday our obliging guide suggested a halt, 

 and led us towards the river. As soon as we had left the 

 volcanic plateau we again noticed the gleaming quartzy sand, 

 and the somewhat varied flora resembled that of the now almost 

 forgotten Nyika districts, including two kinds of Sanseviera, the 

 Sanseviera cylindrica and another probably new species, thorny 

 acacias, with isolated morio trees, cactus-like euphorbias, small 

 aloes, the red flowers of which were just coming out, and by 

 the river itself a beautiful lily with large sword-shaped leaves 

 and small blossoms. We also noticed the spoors of numerous 

 rhinoceroses. The Guaso Nyiro tumbled rapidly along over its 

 bed of coarse-grained pink gneiss, and we knew we were not 

 likely to get any fish here. We threw out our lines, but in vain. 



1 Recognised by Dr. G. Steindachner as a new species, and named Megalixalus 

 pantherinus. 



