TlIK BLUE-BUCK. :, ; . 



Antelopes, being hardly fourteen inches in height at the shoulder, and of moat delicate pro- 



Iortions. 



Tli" little civntiiiv is -,, slightly made that it api>eur8 to be too fnu-il.- i< resist the slightest 

 bi-ee/.-. nr i<i bra\e ill.- inclemency of the open air. i:> legs are \<-i\ loin; in | nijtortion to the 

 dimensions of the l*)dy, and hardly exceed a lad\ 's tin^-r in thickneaa. 



Tli,- color if tin- Madonna is ivmarkabh l-autiful, U-itii: a - n\ m tin- II|.|HT parts 



of tin- Inxly and outside cif thf linil-s. deepening into warm chestnut brown aloiiir tlie back, and 

 l>ecomini: pun- white on th<- abdoiin-n. cli. -st, inner surface of the limlis. and around the root 

 of tli-- tail. It is a native of Abyssinia, where it was discovered by Bruce, and is said t. , 

 inhabit mountainous district**, where it lives in pairs. 



Tux KiioopK IIOK. or NATAL BUSH BUCK (CepJidlopus natalensit) is very common in the 

 Natal forests, and although the advance of civilization and thf spread of tin- arms aimum the 

 Kaffirs must greatly reduce the numbers of tli--.- animal^. still, from their watchful habit.sand 

 selection of the most retired parts of large dense forests as their residence, they will remain 

 much longer in their old quarters than those animals which inhabit plains and are destitute of 

 any secure i.-tii-at. This buck is solitary, ami rarely leaves the dense f..i .-pi in the 



.\.-ninir or during rainy weather, wln-n it seems to prefer feeling the niin drojxt aunalurel to 

 iv.-.-h jn^ them second-hand from the bushes. 



It is \er\ amusing to watch the habits of this wary buck when it scents danger in the 

 bush. Its movements Wome most cautious; lifting its legs with high, but very slow action, 

 i' a p| tear* to IK* walking on tip-toe mOB| " btfon Ittd nflart ...... :. I'- .n - BOrfafl 1:1 .ill 



dire<-tioiis. mid its nos4- jxiintini; upwanl or towaiils tin- >ii*] W -, > t'd locality. If it hears a sud - 

 den smip]>ing of a branch or any other suspicious sound, it stands still like a statue, the foot 

 which is elevated remains so, and the animal scam* shows a sign of life for near a minute. It 

 then moves slowly onwards with the same cautious step, hoping thus to escape detection. If, 

 however, it obtains a siirht of danger, or clearly s,-.-nis some foe, it jrives a sharp si aid 



bounds au.-i\ through the forest, alarming all other animals in its progress. 



The Kaffirs lay snares for this animal by making a noose which is held to the Around by a 

 small peg, while the other end of the cord is fastened to the bent-down limb of a living tree. As 

 HOD .1- the li'-:id '( ill" buck pa^si- int.i id.- i ..... - the i . _- li i.l. M 'I. ."! I ill-- fll tin. i- j- i k--d 

 into the air by the recoil of the lilH*nite<l branch, and so strangled. 



The Red Buck is about two feet high, its horns are about three inches long, st might and 

 jMtinted, and its ears are rather large. 



The color is a deep reddish-brown, which is difficult to distinguish in a dull day, but can 

 be more easily seen on a bright sunny morning, especially if a gleam of light shines through 

 the thick branches and alights on the ruddy coat of the animal. 



THE BLUE-BUCK (Cephalopu* pygmtta) is scarcely more than a foot in height, and about 

 two feet long. 



It possesses small straight horns about two inches in length, closely annulate*! ; its color 

 is a dark blue or mouse tint. 



The most practised eyes are required to discover this buck in the bush, as its color is so 

 similar to the gloom of the under- wood that if it did not shake the branches in its progress, it 

 would be scarcely possible to see it. 



Long after the sportsman has become sufficiently acquainted with bush-craft to secure 

 with certainty one or two red bucks during a day's stalking, he would still be unable to bag 

 the little BhM Buck. 



Several times when I was with a Kaffir, who possessed eyes like those of an eagle, he 

 would point, and with great excitement say, "There goes a Bine-buck ! then- lie is : there, 

 there !" bnt it was of no use to me. I would strain my eyes and look to the spots jM.inted 

 out, bnt could see no buck ; and it was a considerable time before my sight became sufficiently 

 quick to enable me to drop this little Antel ( ,|. with any certainty. 



The animal must not be mistaken for the blau-bok (Jfyocvru* leucophtfUf), which will be 



