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arrangement. No two skins which I examined wore alike, and the stripes often 

 snbdivide half-way across the back. A doe which I shot near Mad/.edzi on 

 January 10th, 1896, had eight stripes on one side and nine on the other, whilst 

 an almost viable fcetus she carried had six stripes on one side and eleven on 

 its left flank. Curiously enough the three Koodoo that I shot were all in 

 the neighbourhood of Lesumbwi, where Mr. R. Crawshay spoke of them as 

 " incredibly shy " ten years ago. A detacliment of Sikh troojjs that I was in 

 medical charge of purchased a young Koodoo from the natives in the Shir^ River 

 valley, and kept it alive on milk for some days. They thought it was some curious 

 variety of their sacred animal, and asked me if it was a " bine cow," as they call the 

 Nilghai {Bosela phus. tragocamebis). This calf had its coat much longer, with the 

 white stripes more distinct, than the adult beast. 



Tlie best measurements I obtained of a Koodoo bull were : — 



Every one seems agreed about the excellence of the beef obtained from this 

 splendid beast : this opinion I endorse. 



16. The Eland. Oreas living^stoni Rcl. 



It is the striped form of this grand beast that occurs in Nyassaland, and it is 

 usually met with in parties of from six to a dozen. Though they are sometimes met 

 with near the Shire River, they are present in greater abundance on the Tuchila 

 Plateau, and there are partial to the leaves and fruit of the Masukn tree. 



My friend Mr. H. C. McDonald killed a fine cow Eland that had escaped from 

 a lion not many honrs before. Its neck and shoulders were scored with large dee]) 

 gashes and punctures, from which the blood was still ooziag. It was alone, and had 

 been lying down, probably to recu])erate after its struggle and flight. 



They do not appear to consort with any other species of antelope. When 

 following up their spoor I have noticed that they pull down and break branches 

 from small trees and lofty bushes, to obtain the tender terminal .shoots, which would 

 otherwise be beyond their reach. The flesh of this animal is g\)od and makes a 

 colourable imitation of beef. 



17. Sable Antelope. Hippotragus niger (Harris). 



On the Tuchila Plain between the Zomba and Melanji Ranges right up to the 

 shores of Lake Sliirwa was the only place where I met with this antelope. 



Here, however, it was quite an ofl'-cliauce if you saw them, for they frequented 

 the Masukn forests and the " dambos " that adjoined, and in November and December, 

 the only time I visited them, the large dry leaves thickly carpeted the ground, and 

 the noise caused liy walking through them was similar to that one makes wading 

 ankle-deep through the " cat-ice " of flooded meadows ! 



One of my companions, Mr. D. McAlpine, of Zomba, shot one curious aberrant 

 s])ecimen of this animal, i.e. a female that was as black as an adult mnle : it was 



