THE LECHE. 431 



lively easy transport to the sea-coast of the produce of a rich 

 and fertile interior. 



A great variety of animals are found in the Lake regions, 

 more especially in the vicinity of the rivers,* such as ele- 

 phants, rhinoceroses, buffaloes, giraffes, koodoos, pallahs, &c., 

 as also two new species of antelopes, the nakong and the 

 leche, both of which are well represented on the following 

 plate. 



The leche bears some resemblance to the pallah, but is 

 altogether a larger animal. In size, indeed, it almost equals 

 the water-buck {aigocerus elUpsipi^mnns), and the horns are 

 very similar to those of the male of that beast. The general 

 color of the skin is a pale brown ; chest, belly, and orbits, 

 white ; and front of legs dark brown. The fur (which in the 

 young animal is long, soft, and often curly) of the adult is 

 short and '' adpressed." The upper part of the nape and 

 withers are provided with a small whorl of hair. The tip 

 of the tail (slender at the base) is adorned with a tuft of 

 black hair. 



The leche is a species of w^ater-buck ; for, though not act- 

 ually living in water, he is never found any distance from it. 

 AVhen pursued, the leche unhesitatingly plunges into the 

 water, however deep. Great numbers are annually destroy- 

 ed by the Bayeye, who convert their hides into a kind of rug 

 for sleeping on, carosses, and other articles of wearing apparel. 



To the best of my belief, the nakong has never been de- 

 scribed by naturalists. I Unfortunately, the materials I pos- 



* Dr. Livingstone informs us that on the first discovery of the 

 Zouga, its banks literally swarmed with wild animals, and that in the 

 course of three years no less than nine hundred elejDhants were killed. 

 However, from the persecution to which the game is constantly ex- 

 posed, and the introduction of fire-arms, tlie number of animals has 

 rapidly decreased, and what remain are wild and waiy. 



t Dr. Gray, of the British Museum, to whom I submitted an imper- 

 fect skin and a sketch of the head of the nakong, is unable to determ- 

 ine its exact nature, but seems inclined to consider it identical witl. 



