NOTES MADE BY LORING 
495 
from the large forest trees. Often the cries were directly over our 
heads, and at a time when the porters were singing and dancing about a 
bright camp fire. Although we tried many times to shine tlieir eyes 
with a powerful light, we never succeeded, nor were we able to hear any 
rustling of the branches or scraping on the tree-trunks as one might 
expect an animal of such size to make. The porters were offered a rupee 
apiece for dassies, but none were brought in. 
Rock Hyrax (Procavia brucei maculata). These animals inhabited the rocks 
and cliffs on Ulukenia Hills in fair numbers. None lived in burrows of 
their own make, but took advantage of the natural crevices for cover. I 
heard their shrill calls at night, usually when the moon was out. 
Several were shot, and two trapped in traps set in narrow passages 
through which the animals travelled. 
Klippspringer (Oreotragus oreotragus). Several pairs of these little antelopes 
were seen on Ulukenia Hills, but never were more than two found at a 
time. They lived on the rocky hillsides, and were quite tame, allowing 
one to approach within twenty-five yards before taking fright and dashing 
into the rocks—invariably their shelter when alarmed. When thoroughly 
frightened they made a loud sneezing sound. Two were collected, one 
of which was a female with horns. A young Boer who had lived in that 
neighbourhood three years told me that all the females of proper age 
had horns. 
Pigmy Gerbille (Dipodillus harwoodi ). These little sand mice resemble very 
closely some of our American pocket mice ( Perognathus ). Heller took 
several on the Njoro O Solali, and found them common ; and I caught 
one specimen on the South Guaso Nyero River. On the sandy desert 
flats on the south-west side of Lake Naivasha they were abundant. The 
holes, running obliquely into the ground, were sometimes blocked with 
sand from the inside. On the opposite side of the lake there was less 
sand, and here the gerbilles were found only in spots. In sand alone 
their burrows resembled those described, but where the ground was hard 
they entered almost perpendicular, and were never blocked with sand. 
Often seed-pods and tiny cockle-burrs were strewn about the entrances. 
Pigmy Mouse (.Mus [ Leggada\ gratus). Various forms of this tiny little 
mouse were taken all along the route we travelled. They were caught in 
traps set at random in the brushy thickets in the lowland, as well as in 
the open grassy spots on the rocky hillsides, where they frequented the 
runways made by various species of Mus. A few were collected on 
Mount Kenia. 
Athi Rock Mouse {Epimys nieventris nice ). This mouse proved to be a new 
species. It was common in and about the rocks on Ulukenia Hills, 
which is the only place where we found them. Those taken were caught 
in traps, baited with peanut-butter, dried apple, and rolled oats, and set 
among the rocks. 
Forest Mouse {Epimys peromyscus ). At our camp, at 8,500 feet altitude, 
we first met with this mouse ; and although a good line of traps, well 
baited, and set about stumps, tree-trunks, and logs, for three nights, but 
one mouse was captured, that being taken under a large log. Several 
others were trapped in the thick brush bordering the bamboos. At 
10,000 feet several were caught in the bamboo, and at 10,700 feet a 
good series was collected on a well-thicketed and timbered rocky ridge. 
Masked Tree Rat {Thamnomus loringi). None were taken until we reached 
the south-west end of Lake Naivasha. Here, and also at Naivasha 
Station, a number were collected in traps baited with rolled oats and 
dried apple, and set at the base of large trees and in brushy thickets in 
groves. In some of these trees and in the bushes, nests of sticks, grass. 
