1 64 ANTELOPES 



ments of a blue-buck when alarmed : unlike C. g7'innni and C. natalensis, 

 they do not bound away, but move at a quick scuttling trot. 



" Blue-buck are almost entirely browsers upon bushes, and it is 

 well known that in order to get at branches which are out of their 

 reach when standing on the ground, they will raise themselves on their 

 hind-legs like goats, resting their fore-feet against the tree-stem. 

 Perhaps, however, the fact is now made known for the first time (if, 

 indeed, it does not actually amount to the discovery of a hitherto 

 unknown habit of this antelope) that the blue-buck can and does climb 

 trees ! My brother witnessed this singular feat when out stalking, 

 and actually shot one as it stood on a branch, browsing on the leaves 

 around. He was first attracted to the spot by the low grunting 

 sounds they were making, but, though they were evidently close by, he 

 failed to make one out after carefully scrutinising the surrounding bush. 

 Advancing cautiously, he soon saw the leaves of a ' boer-boon ' tree 

 shaking violently, and for a moment believed it was caused by either 

 baboons or monkeys : at last, to his surprise, he discovered a blue-buck 

 moving along a branch of the tree some 1 2 feet from the ground. 

 Although in pursuit of bush-buck, this opportunity of shooting a blue- 

 buck under such peculiar circumstances was not to be lost, so he fired 

 and killed it. At the report of the rifle at least eight other blue-buck 

 dropped from the branches, apparently reaching the ground on all four 

 legs at once, and scuttled off; while, as he stepped forward to secure 

 the dead one, a male, another dropped apparently out of the tree under 

 which he had knelt to fire the shot. That same morning he saw blue- 

 bucks in four different trees. The boer-boon tree above mentioned rose 

 from the ground at an angle of about 50 , but the blue-buck were not 

 on the main trunk, but amongst the smaller branches. I regret that an 

 accident prevented me from being with my brother that day ; but he 

 assures me he will be able to point out the spot another day, when he 

 is confident I shall be an eye-witness of this singular climbing feat." 



NYASA BLUE DUIKER 



( CcpluilopJnis nyascB) 



This species (or ? race), which was described by Mr. O. Thomas in 

 the Annals and Magazine of Natural History for January 1902, vol. ix. 

 p. 58, differs from the blue duiker by the larger amount of rufous on 

 the limbs and body, and its narrower skull. The back is a darker 

 brown than in the blue duiker, with a greater tinge of rufous ; the 



