204 ANTELOPES 



herd of a dozen swimming across the river, which at that place was 

 about three-quarters of a mile in width. He and his companion got 

 into a boat with some natives and paddled after the herd, with which 

 they came up easily enough, and even succeeded in getting hold of 

 the horns of a couple of bulls. The strength of the antelopes was, 

 however, prodigious, and there was no holding them when they gained 

 foot-hold at the bank ; so that the herd got clean away in spite of a 

 couple of hasty shots at a range of lO yards as they topped the bank 

 above the boat. As a rule, sing-sing go about in families, though 

 occasionally, as in the above case, two or three families may be seen 

 together. The calves, which are dropped about Christmas, appear to 

 remain with their parents for a much longer period than do the young 

 of other antelope on the west coast, in fact almost until they arrive at 

 maturity. With calves about, the female is very wary and suspicious, 

 and ever on the watch ; taking her food a mouthful at a time, and 

 then standing watching carefully in every direction, or patrolling in a 

 circle around the corner in which her young are feeding and gambolling. 

 Sing-sing being comparatively slow movers, it is possible that the 

 young are the special prey of lions and hysenas ; and hence that the 

 increased wariness of the female is due to the knowledge that they 

 stand less chance of saving themselves by speed. 



" But at the best of times sing-sing are very shy and suspicious, 

 and when alarmed rarely give way to that curiosity which so often 

 proves fatal to other antelopes. Only once have I known a bull stop 

 to ascertain the cause of an alarm ; and from the way in which he 

 stood broadside-on, gazing intently in a direction at right angles to 

 that from which I was approaching, it seemed that, while quick in 

 hearing, they possess even less power than most antelopes of locating 

 the direction of sounds. 



" To stalk a party of sing-sing, even with all the advantages which 

 the ground they frequent gives, is a difficult business, as they are so 

 keenly watchful of everything. I have seen them start away for 

 apparently no reason whatever, although it is always a question 

 whether the wind in those rocky hills and gullies does not at times 

 play absurd pranks, and give notice of the observer's presence, even 

 when he is directly down-wind from the animals. 



" On the other hand, it is much more probable that the sportsman 

 will come up with them if he follows on the fresh tracks of a party of 

 sing-sing, than is the case with hartebeest, roan antelope, or kob. 

 They do not wander much when feeding, their chief object being 

 apparently to make certain of their feeding-ground as a safe place. 



