i 9 4 BIG GAME SHOOTING 



reaches foliage at a high elevation. It runs in small 

 troops, seldom exceeding ten in number. Very 

 curious in disposition, and not possessed of the usual 

 wariness of its congeners, this gazelle is pretty easily 

 bagged. The flesh is poor, however, and the Somalis 

 have a strong prejudice against touching it at all. 

 The gerenuk is to be sought chiefly among stony 

 hills and valleys, more or less clothed with thorn 

 timber. The horns, which are set curiously low 

 down upon the face, are distinctly gazelle-like and of 

 handsome sweep. They attain as much as 1 6 or 17 

 inches over the curve. 



For all the gazelles any of the modern small-bore 

 rifles, such as the Mannlicher or "303, are suitable 

 weapons. 



THE BEIRA 



This curious little hill-loving antelope, named by 

 naturalists Dorcotragus melanotis, is found in Somali- 

 land and the upper regions of the Blue Nile. Having 

 some faint resemblance to the oribi group, it claims 

 also kinship with the gazelles. It carries short, 

 sharp horns, which attain no more than 3 or 4 

 inches in length. The body colouring varies 

 from pinkish-fawn to bluish-grey ; the underparts 

 are white, with a dark lateral band between the 

 upper and lower colouring. The head is rufous. 

 The ram of these little mountaineers barely reaches 

 2 feet at the shoulder, and weighs little more than 

 20 Ibs. These antelopes have much the same habits 



