WESTERN HARTEBEEST 97 



According to Major Arnold, " Bubalis major is found in the 

 hinterland of all the west coast from Senegal to the equator, and 

 frequents chiefly the belt of light bush which intervenes between the 

 dense tropical forest of the coast and the desert-lands of the Sahara. 

 It is unknown in the dense belt, and also appears to avoid the more 

 open country on the far side of the light bush area. In this belt, 

 where it is frequently met with,, it appears to prefer the scrub to the 

 open spaces which occur at intervals. On and near the Niger it is 

 common between Boussa and Idah, where the more or less hilly 

 country is covered with the light tree-scrub. On the river Benue it is 

 not found on the big stretches of open grass-lands which form a 

 feature of that valley ; but wherever the land rises and becomes 

 covered with bush similar to that of the Niger this hartebeest is 

 almost invariably encountered. It wanders about in herds of from 

 half-a-dozen to a score, rarely exceeding the latter number : pairs 

 are seldom met with, though single bulls may occasionally be seen 

 well away from any herd. Young bulls appear to take to a 

 solitary life on approaching maturity, probably before their strength 

 is sufficient to enable them to maintain a sire's position in the herd. 

 Old bulls likewise appear to be turned out of the herd, and may be 

 met wandering alone. 



" Keen of scent and also quick of sight, the West African harte- 

 beest may at times be easily deceived, and, even when alarmed, 

 frequently blunders to its death ; so that even after considerable 

 experience in hunting them, it is impossible to determine the probable 

 behaviour of a herd when alarmed. More than once I have come 

 suddenly upon a single individual within 50 yards, and by assuming 

 an absolutely rigid attitude have so calmed its suspicions that it has 

 continued quietly feeding. At other times, on the contrary, a glimpse 

 of the hunter is sufficient to send a herd away at full speed, so that 

 little more than the first glimpse is obtained. In my opinion, the 

 powers of scent of this antelope are stronger and more relied upon 

 than sight, for in those instances in which individuals have remained 

 quiet whilst the hunter stood in full view, the wind was blowing direct 

 from the animal, whereas with a cross-wind or in a hilly corner, where 

 cross and circling currents of air may occur, these hartebeests always 

 take alarm and hurry off at once. Again, when they encounter a 

 man going up-wind these hartebeests generally bolt to one side, and 

 then break -back behind their pursuer. The herds lie -up for the 

 night, as a rule, in small open spaces, if possible well away from 

 patches of grass or bush ; and rising soon after daylight, the members 



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