REEDBUCK 223 



THE REEDBUCK 



( Cervicapra arunditiuiii) 



Rtetbok, Cape Dutch ; Beviba, Masara ; BusJmiat, Sudani ; Iklabu, 

 Basuto ; Im-vwt, Masubia ; Iinpoyo, Lower Zambesi ; hi- 

 hlango, SWAZI ; Inzigi, Amandebili ; Mpoyo, Chilala and 

 Chibisa ; Mutobo, Barotsi ; Mziki, Zulu and Matabili ; 

 Natafwi, Mashukulumbi ; N'tobi, IM'KuA ; Sibughat, Ngami ; 

 Umvivi, Makuba. 



(Plate viii. fig. i) 



The presence of a large bare or short-haired glandular patch on 

 each side of the head just below the ear (corresponding to the smaller 

 one of the oribis), coupled with the comparatively short and bushy 

 tail, serves at once to distinguish the reedbucks from their near 

 relatives the waterbucks and kobs. Reedbucks are also lighter and 

 more gracefully built animals than kobs, with relatively smaller lateral 

 hoofs. The horns of the bucks (unlike those of the waterbuck group) 

 are jet-black, and of short or medium length ; they diverge regularly from 

 the skull usually at an angle of about 45'', and are directed upwards 

 and outwards, with a forward curvature at the tips, which may form 

 a distinct hook. Till very late in life the base of each horn forms a 

 soft pasty mass. In the skull the front upper jaw-bones, or premaxilla;, 

 do not extend upwards and backwards to join the nasal, or nose, 

 bones. 



The typical reedbuck, that is to say the present species, is the 

 largest representative of the group, standing 36 or 37 inches at the 

 shoulder, and having the ear-patch completely bare, and the relatively 

 large horns curving regularly forwards, without a distinct hook at the 

 tip, and diverging at an angle of about 45° from the skull. The 

 general colour of the upper-parts is ashy brown with a strong tinge 

 of yellow, darker on the back than elsewhere, and gradually lightening 

 towards the under-parts, which, like the inner surfaces of the upper 

 portions of the limbs, are yellowish white. The head, in which the 

 face -glands are small, is pale ochery brown ; the long and rather 

 sharply -pointed ears are thickly haired internally ; and the short 

 bushy tail is brownish yellow above and white beneath. 



As indicated by the long list of native names given above, the 

 reedbuck has an extremely wide geographical distribution, ranging on 



