THE BLAU-BOK, OR BLUE BUCK. 649 
have tracked him for miles over his blood-stained spoor. But still he does sometimes 
retreat and recover after receiving very severe hurts. 
» When the Riet-bok is disturbed, he gives as he gallops off a kind of whistling sneeze, 
which is usually intended as a call for the doe. This whistle sometimes leads to his 
destruction, as the hunter may pass close to a hidden buck and not have seen it. Then, 
however, he usually jumps up and gallops away, giving this whistle, which at once. 
attracts attention. The Riet-bok is very fond of young corn, and therefore the Kaftirs are 
most anxious to drive away or to kill any of these Antelopes which had chosen a retreat 
near their cornfields. On several occasions I won the eternal friendship of a whole 
village by shooting some trespassing bucks which had annoyed them for several weeks. 
The height of this animal is about three feet, and its ‘length nearly five feet. The 
horns are a foot in length, and covered with bold rings at the base ; the ears are six 
inches long. Its colour is ashy-grey above, and white beneath ; the female is rather 
smaller than her mate, and is destitute of horns. In the Kaffir ‘language its name is 
Umseke.” 
The AZquitoon, Kop, or SING-SING, is a native of Western Africa, and is frequently 
found on the banks of the Gambia. 
It is a large animal, equalling the common stag in dimensions, and bearing some 
resemblance to that animal in general aspect. The horns of the adult male are lyre- 
shaped, and covered with rings. The general colour of this animal is a pale brown, the 
entire under surface and inner faces of the limbs being white. There is no mane, and 
the tail is rather long, and covered with hair. 
The Water Buck, or PHoroMoK, is one of the handsome examples of the South 
African Antelopes. 
It is a peculiarly timid animal, and when alarmed rushes at once towards the nearest 
river, into which it plunges without hesitation, and which it will cross successfully even when 
the stream is deep, strong, and rapid. The animals are probably induced to take to the 
water by their instinctive dread of the lion and leopard, which will never voluntarily 
enter the water, except under peculiar circumstances. The Water Bucks are generally 
found in small herds, which never wander far from the banks of some large river. The 
horns of this species are remarkable for their formation, being somewhat lyrate, bent 
back, and thrown forwards at their extremities. The tail is rather long, and is covered 
with lone hairs towards its termination. The flesh of this animal is very powerfully 
scented, and is of so bad a flavour that none but a hungry Kaffir will eat it, and even he 
will not do so until forced by dire hunger. This peculiar scent is probably variable in 
potency according to the season of the year, as is the case with all perfumed animals. 
Captain Harris says that those which he has killed have been totally uneatable, not even 
the native palate being proof against the rank flavour. The scent extends to the skin, 
which exhales so powerful an odour that when Captain Harris was engaged in cutting 
off the head of a Water Buck which he had killed, the scent was so strong as to drive 
him repeatedly from his task. 
The colour is brown, with the exception of a greyish-white oval patch round the base 
of the tail. The specific term, edlipsyprymnus, is given to the animal in reference to this 
elliptical mark. The female is without horns. The height of the adult male is about 
four feet six inches, and his horns are rather more than thirty inches in length. 
THE two species which are placed in the genus Aigocerus bear a considerable 
resemblance to the ibex in the formation of the horns, which are of very great dimensions, 
large at the base, strongly ringed, and curved backwards towards the: shoulders. The 
name Algocerus is of Greek origin, and signifies Goat-haired, in allusion to the peculiar 
structure of these appendages. 
The BLAv-BoKk, or Blue Buck, as it is called, on account of the slaty-blue colour of 
its coat, is now a rather rare animal, although it was formerly common in many 
parts of Southern Africa. 
