ELAND (TAUROTRAGUS ORYX). 87 



ELAND (Taurotragus oryx). 



Native Names. 



Chinyanja Nchefu. Chiyao Mbunju. 



Zulu (Ngoni) Mpofu. Chikunda Ntuka. 



Chitonga Sefu. Swahili Mpofu. 



Chibisa Nsefu. Chiwemba Nsefu. 



Food. 



Leaves of Bwazi, also bite off the ends of the twigs. Leaves and bark of 

 Mtonga (Kaffir orange), but not the fruit. 



Chisamkuntu (a plant with a large blue flower growing in wooded country from 

 which natives make salt). 



Maize, grass, Msatsi (castor-oil shrub). 



Mbelamendi (or Nandoro), a cultivated bean. 



Mbwabwa (or Chandimbu), a big tree. 



Spoor. 



As before mentioned, the spoor of an old bull resembles in shape that of an old 

 buffalo, but is smaller. 



The illustrations of the buffalo and eland we have shown do not at first sight 

 look aHke. 



This is because the toes of the eland are spreading. 



The spread of the hoofs depends on pace, the nature of the ground, &c., and is no 

 guide, though some animals habitually spread more than others. 



Spoor has generally to be judged from only a small part which is visible. 



Buffalo and eland, especially on hard ground, show only the fore part, and both 

 look something like this : — 



Eland walk more forward on the foot than do buffalo, giving a deeper 

 impress in front and do not cut such a clean spoor mark. 



As to the smaller eland and cows, they differ very much from the old bull, being 

 much more pointed {vide illustration). 



