703 
EXPERIENCES IN BRITISH EAST AFRICA. 
butterflies which were common here ; but before going further 
I would like to say a little about the different Antelopes we 
found in this country. 
1'here are three species of Antelope which live on these 
plains which we were now crossing and two species of Gazelle. 
The Antelopes are Coke’s Hartebeeste ( Bubalis cokci). Wilder- 
beeste ( Conuochoctes ulbojubutus) and Eland ( Taurotragtis 
livingstoni). 1 he Hartebeestes or Kongoni as they are com- 
monly called, are much the commonest, they go about generally 
in large herds, and take a lot of killing ; there are two other 
species of Hartebeeste in East Africa but this was the only 
one I came across ; they have a long ugly face surmounted 
by horns which go straight up and then branch out V shape ; 
their flesh is rather coarse and unpalatable though we were 
often glad enough to eat it as one soon learns not to be 
particular when one has to depend on one’s rifle for one's 
dinner ; it is an extraordinary sight to see a herd of frightened 
Hartebeeste galloping, they go at a great pace, springing along 
in leaps with all four feet off the ground at one time; except 
perhaps for Zebra. I saw more Hartebeestes than any other 
animal, and often their numbers on the Athi Plains were 
incredible. 
The white bearded Gnu (Conuochoctes alboj ubatus) or Wilde - 
beeste as it is called in East Africa, also lives on these vast 
sandy plains, though it was not until I reached a place called 
Kallima Theki that I saw any quantity of them, but here 
there were generally two or three large herds about and I was 
able to shoot a couple of very fine bulls, one indeed carrying 
the record head for the year ; they are odd looking brutes, 
these Wildebeeste, more like a Buffalo, at a little distance than 
anything else, they live right out in the open plains and will 
often stand motionless staring at one until one gets within 
400 yards or so of them, then they give a whisk of their tails 
and go off in a lumbering sort of gallop and perhaps will not 
stop again until they are nearly out of sight : they are a slaty- 
grev colour with darker stripes and fine spreading horns. 
The third species of Antelope which we shot going across 
the Athi Plains was the Eland ( Taurotragus livingstoni). the 
