With Flashlieht and Rifle -* 



herds. The impalla antelopes are fond of eating the 

 fresh grass sprouting chietly in the little hollows near the 

 water. About this season of the year one finds herds of 

 froni fiky to a hundred heads of both sexes. Later the 

 pregnant females betake th(Miiselves to the dense under- 

 wood and high grass, there to give birth to their young. 



At the approach of man the impallas take to flight 

 in a series of the most wonderful leaps and bounds. They 

 sometimes jump as high as three yards above the ground. 

 Their cries when alarmed remind one of those of our 

 roebucks. Both sexes give out the same kind of crv. 



Towards evening we come upon some of Kiell's 

 dwarf antelopes {Uladoqiia kirki). Their colouring blends 

 to such an extent with their surroundings that the eye 

 needs long training before it can make them out. I 

 iiiiyself, in spite of my experience with the fauna of the 

 North of Europe, could not see one of these dwarf ante- 

 lopes in the l)rushwood, not more than twenty paces 

 from where I stood, although a black pointed him out. 

 These beautiful creatures live, singly or in twos or threes, 

 in the midst cl prickly brushwood, a few bounds bringing 

 them into safety in their inaccessible retreat. 



One of my greatest pleasures was to observe the hal)its 

 and customs of these animals in their hiding-places when- 

 ever I could get well into hiding for the purpose. With 

 their fine sensitive snouts snifhng attentiveK' on all sides 

 hither and thither, these larg(,'-t,'\ed, gracious creatures 

 present a wonderful sight tor the animal-lover. 



'1 he same may be said of Xcumann's sleinbok 

 i^Raphiccros nciniiainn), which fre(]ucMUs similar places 



I 26 



