KORRIGUM, TIANG, OR TOPI 119 



numbers many years ago on the western edge of the great Mau forest 

 (near that part called the Mau Nyarok or Black Mau), just south of 

 Sotike and Lumbwa, and I have little doubt that it may range down 

 to the Victoria Nyanza, at the part of its coast south of Ugowe Bay, 

 although we saw none in Kavirondo nor anywhere along the north 

 coast of that lake. Mr. F. J. Jackson states that it is the commonest 

 antelope in the Gala country near the coast, and that he has met with 

 a few on the Mau plateau and down the Nyando river to near the 

 Victoria Nyanza, and that it also ranges round the north of Mount 

 Elgon into Uganda, Budu, and Toru, on which side of the lake it is 

 common. It is, however, unknown throughout the extensive region 

 lying between the coast-belt and Lake Rudolf; and I met with no 

 signs of it after leaving the neighbourhood of the coast until I reached 

 the Bay of Lalia, half way up the east side of that lake. It was on 

 this northern half of the east coast of Lake Rudolf that I became 

 intimately acquainted with this antelope, and especially towards the 

 north-east corner, where I met with it in immense numbers. 



" It appears that this antelope has a special predilection for the 

 vicinity of large bodies of water, although it may be found some con- 

 siderable distance away from the actual shore. Thus it occurs not far 

 from the sea, from the neighbourhood of Mbungu, a short distance 

 inland from Mombasa, northwards, but, I think, nowhere on the coast 

 to the south of that latitude, and reappears in the neighbourhood of 

 the inland lakes. In the neighbourhood of Reshiat is a broad level 

 valley behind, overlooked by a ridge, where the topi used often to 

 collect towards evening or in the early morning. They were some- 

 times literally in thousands, the flat for a mile or more being covered 

 with them, collected in one enormous herd. During March all the 

 cows seemed to have calved, and I used to enjoy watching the gambols 

 of the troops of light fawn-coloured calves racing fleetly up and down, 

 and chasing each other in and out among the herd. Once or twice I 

 had the opportunity of witnessing a fight between two bulls. Between 

 the rounds they stood a little apart, pretending, as it were, to take no 

 notice of each other ; then suddenly, as if instinctively impelled by 

 some simultaneous impulse, they rushed together, going down on their 

 knees as their heads clashed. At night the topi used to come quite 

 close to my camp, and I have seen their footprints in the morning 

 within fifty yards of my hut, and often heard them grunting and 

 sneezing in the night. 



"The flesh of the topi is excellent, being about the best meat 

 furnished by any antelope found in this part of Africa, just as that of 



