624 
AFRICAN GAME ANIMALS 
We came across two species and several races of dik- 
diks. In these tiny animals the sexes are of almost equal 
size, the female being, if anything, slightly larger. The 
little creatures live in thick cover, and run under the 
branches like a civet or a mongoose. The voice is a bird¬ 
like whistle or chirp. They are always found singly or in 
pairs, or in pairs with one young one, and are shy, timid, 
and alert. They browse, graze, and eat roots; one was 
seen digging grass tubers at io a.m. in the bright sunlight 
in the desert region of the Northern Guaso Nyiro. They go 
entirely without water; at least we found them in thickets 
which apparently they never left and which were miles 
from any water. In the desert they never came to water; 
it is possible that some of those in the highlands drink at 
pools. We thought we found signs that this was so. 
The tiny dikdik has one habit which it shares with the 
huge rhinoceros. It tends to deposit its dung in one place; 
at any rate, we found dung heaps which had evidently been 
resorted to for many weeks by one or two of the little crea¬ 
tures. On account of its habits and of the dense bush in 
which it dwells, it is rarely seen. The stomach of a spec¬ 
imen killed at the Northern Guaso Nyiro contained the 
leaves of two bushes, Strychnos and Salvadora , the latter 
the tooth-brush bush of the Somalis. Another specimen col¬ 
lected at Naivasha contained the leaves and parts of the hard 
yellow berries of a nightshade, Solanum campy lac anthum . 
Key to the Species of Rhynchotragus 
Proboscis large and expanded; premaxillae short, only reaching half¬ 
way to nasals; nasals very short, only reaching as 
far as front of last upper premolar; belly white 
without fulvous margin on sides guentheri 
