292 
A COLONY IN THE MAKING 
CHAP. 
northern deserts, carrying in the latter districts the 
better horns. An average specimen would be 14 inches, 
anything over 16 inches being very good. 
Giraffe .—There are two varieties in the Protectorate. 
The common variety, found in the southern and 
inhabited portions, and the northern variety ( reticulata ), 
occurring anywhere north of Likipia and being 
especially numerous in the northern Game Reserve. 
The southern variety has increased considerably in 
the last ten years and is very numerous in certain 
localities. I have seen as many as thirty in a herd 
both in the Ithanga hills and on the southern Guaso 
Nyero, and once more than seventy on the Serengati 
plains. Giraffe are most interesting and delightful 
beasts, and even those who have the most rooted 
antipathy to wild animals have yet to find a particular 
reason for the extermination of this species. Nature 
has cursed the giraffe with a skin which forms the 
most beautiful whip-lashes for bullocks in existence, and 
is valuable accordingly. No Dutchman can be trusted 
within miles of a herd, and will clear out any district 
with great celerity. If the species carried in addition 
horns to attract the sportsman and tusks to attract the 
trader he would long ago have been as extinct as the 
dodo, for he is easily ridden down and killed and has 
no means of defence. The Borana and also Somalis 
kill giraffe to make pots and buckets and, more especially 
in the case of the Borana, for the sake of his tail, the 
hairs of which they fashion into much prized necklaces— 
another instance of the sacrifice of a lovely creature to 
satisfy the vanity of the human species. The Abys- 
sinians have exterminated their own giraffe some 
years back, and are now starting on those in the Pro¬ 
tectorate. All giraffe have the rudiments of five 
