ENDERIT RIVER AND LAKE NAKURU 33 
August 3.—While stalking a group of three harte- 
beests, in creeping across a belt of tall grass I detected, 
through interlacing stalks, a small antelope close in front. 
Its head was held pressed flat on the ground, its full dark 
eyes fixed on mine, not six feet apart. By the short 
upright horns and dark blaze on the face I judged it to 
be an oribi; but being all anxiety to secure the coveted 
Neumann bull in front, I declined the chance to add 
what would also have been a new and interesting species 
to our game-list, and eventually got neither. 
Lions were numerous on the Enderit. We came to 
regard their opening notes, usually heard at our various 
camps about 10 p.m., as the signal for turning-in. 
There is heavy bush along the riverside, and we never 
saw a lion here by day, though we twice fell in with 
tiger-cats, and once with a brownish lynx that was pro¬ 
bably a caracal. A dark-looking beast that I had thought 
was also of the felines Elmi assured me was a “Yea,” 
a name which in the Somali tongue signifies a hunting- 
dog (Lycaon pictus). It was alone, slowly pottering 
along, and presently lay down in long grass where I got 
near enough, but made a bad miss, running, with the 
carbine. Another animal identified through its Somali 
name of “ Shook-shook ” was of the Herpestes genus, a 
big brown mongoose. When first observed it was lying 
under a thick laurel-like shrub by the riverside, devour¬ 
ing a francolin; but a bullet from the Paradox caused 
it to emit so overpowering an odour that further interest 
in the specimen was impossible. It was as large as an 
otter, with a conspicuous bushy tuft projecting above and 
beyond the tail. We frequently saw smaller mongoose, 
especially in the early mornings, inquisitive little beasties, 
though never observed to run in a string as they do in 
Spain. Other pretty creatures are the ground-squirrels, 
ruddy-brown in colour, that remind one of marmots as 
they sit upright for a moment, watching, before dis¬ 
appearing down their holes. 
Besides all these, other beautiful antelopes abounded 
in our happy hunting-grounds—amidst profusion it is 
