GRACEFUL AFRICAN ANTELOPES 211 



The oddities do not stop here, but are found in the markings of the 

 entire body. The sides of the head and neck are deep purple-chocolate, 

 the back and shoulders bluish-white, as if glazed. Brown flanks and 

 loins with a white belly and legs brown outside and white within, 

 yellowish-red chest and croup and a brown and white tail complete the 

 picture of this remarkably handsome antelope. Large herds are found 

 in the plains of the interior, often at salt deposits. 



The Bontebok. — A rather larger species of antelope than the 

 preceding is the bontebok or pied antelope. However, it bears a close 

 resemblance to the blesbok in point of shape, being equally ro1)Ust, 

 hump-backed and broad-nosed and possessed of the same fine venerable 

 old-goatish expression, but it is more remarkably piebald, the legs 

 being perfectly white and the horns black, instead of being light 

 colored. The two animals have in common a broad blaze down the 

 face, a glazed, bluish-white back having the appearance of a saddle 

 and fiery-red eyes. The horns are placed vertically on the summit of 

 the head and both species alike invariably scour against the wind with 

 their noses close to the ground. Th's fact adds a little to their danger 

 from sportsmen as it is only necessary to get "up wind" on sighting 

 them and patiently wait until they come within range. African, 

 breezes are fickle things however, and a change of wind means a quick 

 scenting of the strange presence and a mad rush for safety. 



The Pallah. — Forest lands and green and shady river-bank 

 groves are often inhabited by forest-loving antelopes. One of the 

 most graceful of these is the pallah with its knotted and queerly twisted 

 horns of extraordinary size. Shy and capricious in its habits, the 

 elegance of its form and the delicate finish of its limbs are unrivaled. 

 The pallah stands very high on its legs, and moves with extreme grace. 

 The color of the upper part of the body, the head and the neck, is deep- 

 safifron or tawny. The sides and hinder parts are a yellowish-dun and 

 the belly white. The pallah is gregarious in small herds and is chiefly 

 found on the thinly wooded banks of rivers. 



The Bush-Buck. — An animal varying somewhat from the 

 typical structure of true antelopes, is the bush-buck or boschbok, which 

 more nearly assumes that of the goat. Its horns are black, about 

 twelve inches long, erect and spirally shaped. The general color of 



