THE LARGER EAST AFRICAN ANTELOPES 



animal grows older they spread out more, turning first 

 forward, then in a bold sweep backward, and then forward 

 again, so that the horns, seen from the side, almost form 

 an " S." The year rings are few and very widely spread, 

 and do not reach more than about one half the length of 

 the horn, which ends in a slender and very sharp point. 

 The horns of the impala vary from some twenty to twenty- 

 four inches, measured in a straight line ; the female of this 

 species has no horns. The color of the impala is reddish, 

 which in young animals sometimes turns to almost bright 

 red, which merges at the flanks into a snow-white belly. 



The impala is very common in Southern, Central, and 

 East Africa. It often goes in large herds of from twenty 

 to one hundred, and sometimes even more. The animal 

 loves sandy plains dotted with low scrub and thorn bush, 

 but is fond of water, and never goes far away from 

 some supply of this kind. In fact, some hunters say that 

 the very presence of an impala guarantees that there is 

 water in the neighborhood. I have several times noticed 

 large herds of impala without a single grown-up male 

 among them, and I have also on several occasions found 

 small bands of bucks by themselves, generally following 

 some old, magnificent animal which, in spite of its beautiful 

 horns, has escaped the sportsmen. 



Every observer of big game in Africa will bear me 

 out when I say that the impala is certainly one of the 

 swiftest animals in existence. It is a wonderful sight, in- 

 deed, to see a herd of impala fall into the most graceful 

 gallop, when frightened, making leaps over high bushes 

 and broad streams, throwing, like the race horse, the front 

 legs almost flat under the belly as they bound. I have my- 



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