ON CROCODILES 
409 
Wa-Pokomo of the Tana are the only people I know who 
openly admit that they eat it. 
As the crocodile is not known to walk great distances over 
dry land, its wide distribution, coupled with the fact that there 
is only one species, opens up a great field for speculation. For 
instance, crocodiles are found in many small rivers along the 
coast which rise only a few miles inland, and only run for a 
short period every year ; during the remainder of the year these 
rivers consist of a few isolated pools, to which the crocodiles 
retire during the hot weather. 
These rivers, further, are often many miles apart, and 
separated by arid ridges rising high above the river-beds, and 
thus there is no chance of their being temporarily connected 
during periods of flood. 
In the Rift Valley, Baringo Lake and the north end of 
Rudolph Lake abound with crocodiles. Lakes Hannington, 
Nakuru, and Elementaita contain none ; it is true that these 
are very alkaline, but they are also absent from Naivasha, 
which is fresh. Probably, therefore, Naivasha was formed 
after the distribution of this species had taken place ; and as 
Naivasha is practically devoid of fish a crocodile might find 
it difficult to live, even though there are frogs in myriads. 
The crocodiles in Lake Jipe are very numerous and 
dangerous. During the dry weather, when the water is low, 
parties of natives, however, occasionally wade across the 
northern end where the water is shallower ; they carry long 
staves and beat the water, and hit any crocodile, which 
comes too near, over the head. Lake Jipe drains into the 
Rufu River. 
Just north of Taveta there is a beautiful crater lake called 
Chala. The natives state that this contains ‘ crocks ’ — pre- 
sumably, they came from the Lumi River, about three-quarters 
of a mile away ; but the precipitous cliffs which surround Chala 
must have been difficult to negotiate. 
I will close these discursive notes with an account of an 
incident I once observed on the Sabaki, a few miles below the 
Tsavo junction. 
I came down to the river and saw about half a dozen ducks 
swimming about on its surface, and when I reached the bank 
