i. THE GAME — ANTELOPES. t^ 



the curve, and for a female i3in. They inhabit open bush country, and are often 

 found feeding in the open early in the morning and late in the evening. 



The meat is very good, and perhaps the best of all the larger antelopes. 



Waterbuck {Cobus ellipsiprymnus). — This is the common type, with the white 

 ring on the rump, round the tail. Its name would denote that it lives mostly in 

 water, but, although it is usually found within a reasonable distance of water, it will 

 often be seen in very dry hilly country. 



Perhaps it is most plentiful near perennial rivers and streams, and wherever 

 there are extensive swamps it is pretty certain to be common. 



The colour of the hide is a bluish-brown, and the hair is fairly coarse and long. 

 The animal has a very good carriage, and a male is one of the finest looking of the 

 antelopes, being well proportioned and graceful, with a level back. 



To see a bull waterbuck standing with his head well up is one of the prettiest 

 sights imaginable, for he stands like a well-bred pony. 



They are more abundant in the Luangwa Valley than in any other part of 

 this country. 



I have found this animal to be very tenacious of life unless he is hit well forward. 

 The meat is very tough, and perhaps the rankest of any of the antelopes. Only the 

 males bear horns, and a good head will be 28in. on the curve, which is an average 

 head in Southern Africa. 



Being well proportioned, I should think a bull would weigh about 45olb. 



Sable {Hippotragus niger). — Perhaps many people would give the sable first 

 place as the finest antelope in Africa, but his head, although a splendid trophy, is not 

 quite as grand as a kudu's. 



The habits of the sable are bolder, for he does not mind showing himself in the 

 open, as he will often be found in the dambos in the cool of morning and evening. 

 Sable run in herds, but out of the breeding season the older males will often be found 

 by themselves. I think they are more difficult to shoot when single, for, having to 

 depend on their own senses for safety, they get more wary. 



The Boers have a very descriptive name for this animal, " Zwartwitpens," which 

 means " black, with white belly," which exactly describes the colour of the older 

 beasts. The younger animals are a rich brown, and they begin to turn black about 

 their third year. Even in the oldest beasts the ears never lose the brown hairs. 

 They prefer fairly open bush country, and, as I have mentioned, feed in the open 

 when it is cool. In places where they are little molested they may lie in the open all 

 day. They often climb high hills, and a friend of mine shot one quite 5000 feet 

 above sea level. 



