AB YSSINIAN ORIBI 



173 



habitat of the bohor antelope seems to be also the favourite ground 

 of the Abyssinian oribi ; both species being often seen near one 

 another, although they do not appear to herd together. In this 

 district I saw certainly over fifty a day, and had no trouble in picking 

 up about a dozen oribi in four days' shooting, although I was looking 

 specially after bohor. 



" These little antelopes are, as a rule, to be seen in small parties of 

 from three to six ; only once did I see seven together ; nearly always 

 they were in twos or threes. At morning and evening they may be 



Fig. 39. — Skulls and Horns of the Abyssinian Oribi. 



seen grazing in the open. The females are often bigger than the 

 males, and without glasses these bucks are rather difficult to make 

 out, as the ears are kept along the horns, and thus screen them from 

 the hunter. These oribi are not very timid unless much shot at. 



" In the hottest hours of the day they lie down in dry grass about 

 3 to 4 feet high, and more often in the shade of the dwarf mimosa, 

 which stands isolated in the middle of the plains. Sometimes they 

 are lazy and do not care to move except when one is passing quite 

 near ; but as a rule they jump off about 60 yards away. When a 

 strong wind was blowing I often managed to shoot them with a shot- 

 gun by working slowly against wind in the most likely places. With 



