ELAND 311 



would doubtless not be able to gallop any distance. An eland's 

 natural pace when disturbed is a trot a long, ground-covering trot, 

 to keep up with which a horse must go at a hand-gallop, but which 

 an eland can maintain apparently without much effort for miles. 

 When a herd of eland starts running, first one, then another of its 

 members will often spring into the air, leaping as high as the backs of 

 its fellows. When pressed, an eland will first trot faster and faster, 

 and then break into a swinging gallop, which it will be able to 

 maintain without a break for from half a mile to a mile and a half ; 

 and so long as an eland is actually galloping, none but an excep- 

 tionally good horse will be able to pass it, although a fairly good 

 one will keep close up all the time. At length the eland will break 

 his gallop, and, with the foam and slaver flowing from his mouth and 

 flying back over his great neck, now black with sweat, once again 

 commence to trot. He is, however, probably not yet done ; and as his 

 pursuer presses close up, will very likely resume his gallop and keep it 

 up for a quarter of a mile or so more. But that will be his last effort ; 

 and now you may gallop past him, and shoot him through the heart 

 as he trots past you or try and drive him nearer to your camp or 

 waggon. An eland always runs against wind ; it is possible to make 

 him swerve several points to the one side or the other, but I have never 

 yet seen one that could be made to turn right round and run down 

 wind in a direction exactly opposite to the point he was originally 

 making for. 



" Eland, I think, are among the least pugnacious of antelopes, and 

 several bulls will always be found harmoniously consorting with every 

 large herd of cows. The latter begin to drop their calves early in 

 June in south-east Africa, a full two months earlier than any of the 

 other antelopes living in the same country. The majority of the calves 

 are, however, born in July ; and the late ones in August. The little 

 creatures gain strength very rapidly, and when but a few days old can 

 only be run down by a good horse after a hard gallop for the best 

 part of a mile. After capture they will drink milk readily out of a 

 bowl, and soon become perfectly tame." 



The following notes on eland in British Central Africa were com- 

 municated by Sir Alfred Sharpe : 



" During the latter half of the dry season, when all grass has 

 grown rank and dry, and especially at the time of bush- fires, when 

 there is no grass at all, eland feed largely on leaves of different trees. 

 To enable them to reach these, they place their feet on the stems of 

 young trees, much in the same manner as goats. Eland arc generally 



