236 ANTELOPES 



of reedbucks from South Africa, as horns of lo inches along the 

 curve may be considered very good. The note of alarm is a shrill 

 whistle, which can be heard at long distances, but is rather difficult to 

 locate. 



"If circumstances allow of a choice, by far the pleasantest time 

 to look for these bucks is the cool of the evening, when they are on 

 the move and feeding. The wind is then steady, and the grass dry ; 

 and they are not likely to move far from the spot where last seen. 

 Even if alarmed by the warning whistle of another buck, which may 

 be standing some distance off and not noticed by the stalker, they 

 will endeavour to escape observation by crouching down in the grass 

 rather than seek safety in flight." 



In reference to the western race, Mr. Percy Rendall observes : 

 " A young animal that I reared on the Island of St. Mary, at Bathurst, 

 was caught in the upper reaches of the Gambia river by a native. 

 After four months on milk from a feeding-bottle, I weaned it to dried 

 ground-nut grass {Arachis hypogcBo). For the first six months the tear- 

 glands were a marked feature on its face, and it was quite white on 

 the chest and under-parts. As it grew older, however, the tear-glands 

 were hidden ; it then became darker, and its coat grew twice as long 

 as before, the white of the under-parts deepening into a light mouse- 

 brown. The horns were cut at six months old, and altered their 

 direction several times before the animal entered the gardens of the 

 Zoological Society of London in June 1890. It became extremely 

 tame, would follow me about like a dog, and eat out of my hand ; it 

 was very fond of the flat, curled seed-pods of a mimosa-tree, with 

 yellow tasselled blooms, which grew in my compound." 



Writing of the Sudan race, Vicomte Edmond de Poncins mentions 

 that " these antelopes are very numerous in the Galla country near 

 Mount Yokoila ; they like open grassy plains, more or less dotted 

 with mimosa-bushes, and are found in small herds of from four to 

 eight, sometimes even fifteen or twenty. They are not very wild, and 

 may be easily stalked at less than 200 yards in the middle of the day. 

 Old males frequently are found in the long grass quite alone, when, if 

 disturbed, they gallop through the grass, jumping very high ; on the 

 plains they go easy and fast without jumping. The flesh is not bad 

 eating, and the Gallas are very keen about getting the skins. The 

 weight is about 80 lb." 



