British Somaliland 11 d ] RACE ; POPULATION o the winter. Their numbers, in the hot and the cold seasons respectively, are estimated as follows: at Ber bera, 8,000 or 10,000 and 25,000 or 30,000 ; at Zeila, 5,000 and 7,000 ; at Bulhar, a few hundreds and 10,000. As the Somalis are shepherds and inhabit a country in which the grazing conditions compel them to move their flocks according to the seasons of the year, there is a constant and regular coming and going of the tribes (such as the Aysa Musas and the Habr Gerhajis) from north to south and vice versa . Some (e. g. the Habr Awals) even cross the frontiers into Italian and Abyssinian territories, while others (e. g. the Ogaden) come north from these regions. Migra tions of this sort occur all over the country, and each tribe has one strip of country (the whole of which is not necessarily in British territory ) which it shares with one or more other tribes . The perpetuation of this state of affairs is assured by treaty with neigh bouring Powers, and the tribes jealously assert and defend their rights under it.

In the absence of census statistics nothing is known about the increase or decrease of the popula tion. In 1906 it was surmised that, owing to the peaceful state of the country, the population was in creasing, and it may be that on account of the recent unrest it has since decreased . It is certain that the hard life led by the Somalis leads to the death of many children , and it is probable that, even under peaceful conditions, the population can increase but slowly.