-^ The Antelopes of East Africa 



of the plain where they are grazing ; then, taking to flight, 

 they break at first into a trot, which develops presently 

 into a heavy but rapid gallop. Before they actually make 

 off, however, they always indulge in a series of high 

 jumps, to the astonishment of the observer, who would 

 not believe them capable of such agility. 



I often found these elands at a great distance from 

 water They are able to go without water for several 

 days ; they do not feed exclusively upon grass, but also 

 upon stalks and the small branches of trees, but their 

 favourite grazing is upon the slopes of certain hills. 

 Although I knew thcit elands were hill-climbers, I was 

 quite startled the first time I saw them just as they were 

 starting up the side of a mountain. The spot where I 

 saw them was 6,000 or 7,000 feet high, in the thick of an 

 impenetrable jungle, made up of jessamine, vernonia, and 

 smilax thickets. I came upon them again, afterwards, up 

 above the forest-belt, in the region of the shrubs. 



I often found them on the grass-covered open glades 

 which the rhinoceroses have a liking for also, as well as 

 in the dense woods high up on the different hills of the 

 Masai country at altitudes varying from 7,000 to 8,000 feet. 



As at this time I rarely found them upon the plains, 

 I have come to the conclusion, as I have said already, that 

 they resort to the hills in the dry season. I saw some 

 quite young ones in the month of November ; in most 

 cases the elands did not mix with other antelopes, and the 

 very old bulls were almost always alone. So far as I could 

 judge, they did not seem at all nervous ; even the bulls that 

 had been shot at did not seem to stand on their guard. 



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