2 26 ANTELOPES 



tangle which grows up in old plantations. They are very partial to 

 the young maize-sprouts. 



" The young are born between December and March, earlier in the 

 low country than on the mountain plateaus, their fur being woolly and 

 rufous brown in colour. 



" In the old days the favourite style of hunting reedbuck was to 

 ride over suitable country on horseback, taking one likely patch of 

 scrub after another ; or, if a party, to ride in line through them, then, 

 as the buck jumped up, to dismount and take the shot as it galloped 

 off. Reedbuck may, however, be stalked in the evenings or early 

 mornings without much difficulty, as they are not very wary. When 

 pursued, they rarely take to boggy ground, although I have seen them 

 go through such places ; but, as a rule, they will almost run any risk 

 in preference. I have, however, known reedbuck, wounded and un- 

 wounded, take to water, when they sink themselves almost entirely 

 below the surface, so that only their noses and horns remain above. I 

 have only once known a reedbuck use its horns, on which occasion it 

 thrust them about three inches into the ribs of one of my dogs. Reed- 

 buck, although very tenacious of life, show a wound quicker than bush- 

 buck. The latter droop the tail and run fijnig, as the Boers say, while 

 reedbuck, though they may continue to show the ' flag,' constantly 

 shake their ears, and look ' crimped-up ' and generally demoralised. 

 When badly hit they often take to dense covert." 



THE MOUNTAIN REEDBUCK OR ROOI RHEBOK 



( Cervicapra fulvoruftila) 



Root Rhebok, Cape Dutch ; Inlilangd mats die, ZULU AND SwAZi 



(Plate viii, fig. 4) 



On account of its mountain-haunting habits, so unlike those of the 

 typical reedbuck, the Boers believe this species to be a near relative 

 of the true or vaal rhebok, and consequently distinguish it as the rooi 

 (red) rhebok. From the typical reedbuck it is readily distinguished 

 by its inferior size, the height at the shoulder not being more than 

 from about 28 to 30 inches. The horns of the bucks are of the same 

 general type as those of ariindinum, having no distinct terminal hook, 

 but they are perhaps more sharply bent forwards near the middle and 

 have fewer rings. The general colour is greyish fawn, with, in some 



