PALA 243 



" The rams fight desperately, and the vanquished form separate 

 herds by themselves. In the rutting-season the rams make a deep- 

 toned sound, which may be best described as a kind of continuous 

 grunting. To those unfamiliar with the habits of these antelopes the 

 noise might readily be believed to be produced by pigs, when heard in 

 thick bush where the animals themselves are hidden. 



" As already stated, pala are dependent on water, from which they 

 are never found very far away ; but the frequency with which they 

 drink depends very much upon the state of the pasturage. When the 

 latter is very dry the antelope resort to the water at least once in the 

 twenty-four hours, but when feeding on fresh green grass they do not 

 need to drink so often, and at such times wander farther away from 

 the drinking-places. Although feeding principall}' on grass, they eat 

 leaves as well. 



" Palas are most graceful and agile antelopes, and display marvellous 

 activity when alarmed, flying through the scrub and bounding high 

 over bushes, one after another, as the herd follows its leader in its 

 headlong course ; or, if surprised at close quarters in thick covert, the 

 bush becomes suddenly alive with them, several being often in the air 

 simultaneously in their first bewildered fright. 



" As a rule, they are not hard to stalk, although it is sometimes 

 difficult to get a shot, owing to the thick bush they often frequent. 

 When, however, the hunter has once succeeded in approaching un- 

 observed, he may often, if he wish, kill two or three, one after the other, 

 while occasionally two may even be brought down with one bullet. 



" In districts where there are wild dogs, the pala is its favourite 

 prey. One luckless buck is singled out, and, being separated from the 

 herd, is hunted by its relentless pursuers ; one dog making the running 

 while the pack follows, until at last the leader runs into the exhausted 

 quarry and bowls it over, when it is torn to pieces and swallowed 

 almost literally alive. Leopards, too, constantly take toll of these 

 antelopes, and the lion is not above appeasing his hunger with one 

 when no larger game is available. 



" In East Africa these beautiful antelopes do not seem to mix so 

 much with other species as they are in the habit of doing in the south ; 

 but they may sometimes be found in company with bonte-quagga, or, 

 more rarely, giraffe. It is rather a curious circumstance that, whereas 

 in South Africa they constantly associate with blue wildebeest, in this 

 part of the continent these two creatures, so far as my observation 

 goes, keep altogether apart." 



