DEFASSA OR SING-SING 199 



Sir Alfred Sharpe, writing of these antelopes in Nyasaland, states 

 that when entering the district by way of the Shire, large herds of 

 waterbuck are seen near the banks of the river in what is known as 

 the " elephant-marsh," a large plain lying above the junction of the 

 Ruo with the Shire, and up to 1889 frequented by many elephants. 

 It is now a strictly guarded game-preserve, where numbers of water- 

 buck, zebra, and buffalo roam unmolested. Waterbuck were, at the 

 time of writing, abundant throughout the Zambesi and Shire 1 valleys, 

 as well as on the shores of Lake Nyasa. They are less shy and wary 

 than most other Nyasa antelopes, and not difficult of approach ; and 

 may frequently be seen close up to the outskirts of native villages, 

 especially in the early morning. 



South of the Zambesi the calves are usually born during September, 

 October, and November. 



An albino waterbuck is recorded in the Zoological Society's 

 Proceedings for 1905 (vol. ii. p. 296), and in the same journal for the 

 preceding year (vol. i. p. 3) reference is made to a hybrid between 

 this species and the next. 



THE DEFASSA OR SING-SING WATERBUCK 

 (Cobus defassa) 



Defassa, ABYSSINIAN ; Gftriimes, GALLA ; Nsaina, WAGANDA ; Kib 

 buligoren, MASAI ; Kipkonorian det, WANDEROBBO ; Kuru, 

 SWAHILI ; Tambur, DlNKA ; Katambou, SUDANI ; Sing-sing, 

 GAMBIA ; Dodoka AND Gumbasa, HAUSA ; Doko, YURUBA ; 

 I dative, BAROTSI ; Ingonduma, MATOKO ; Chusivi, BRITISH 

 CENTRAL AFRICA. 



(PLATE vii, fig. 2) 



In the case of this species, as in that of the korrigum hartebeest, 

 we have two native names defassa and sing-sing commonly em- 

 ployed in this country to denote local races of what is essentially one 

 and the same animal. 



From the typical waterbuck the defassa (which name may be 

 conveniently used for the species as a whole) is broadly distinguished 

 by the replacement of the white ring on the buttocks by a large con- 

 tinuous white patch. In size the defassa is approximately the same as its 

 relative, the ordinary shoulder-height being apparently about 48 inches. 



