TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 47 
species is ornamented with a long tail, the female being 
much plainer. In the brute creation it is always so ; 
the male tries to captivate by ornaments and brilliant 
colours. We human beings have grown out of that 
and try other blandishments. But it is curious that the 
male has still to ask and the female to accept. We 
haven’t changed that. We fight just as bucks and 
tigers do, and the winner isn’t always chosen ; there 
may be reasons against it. There is just that little un- 
certainty, that little hardness to please which gives such 
joy to the pursuit. Well, there are exceptions, for the 
ladies of the bustard persuasion fight for their lords. 
On my way back to camp I saw a buck and Mrs. 
Buck of the Speke genus. The former stood broadside 
on, and almost stared me out of countenance at fifty 
paces. He evidently knew I was unarmed. Why do 
they always stand broadside on ? I’ve never seen it 
explained. I Suppose it is partly because he is in a 
better position for flight. 
At this camp we were caught in a continuous 
downpour which lasted twenty-four hours, inter- 
mixed with furious thunderstorms. Cecily’s tent 
(fortunately she was in mine at the time) was struck, 
producing some curious results. The lightning split 
the bamboo tent-pole into shreds, and threw splinters 
about that, when collected, made quite a big bundle. 
The hats and clothes which were hanging on to the 
pole were found flung in all directions, but nothing 
was burnt. The lightning disappeared into the loose 
soil, without appreciably disturbing it. 
Then we had a glorious day sandwiched in, but 
