56 SPORT IN THE EASTERN SUDAN 



the thick fringes of nabbuk near the river, and its 

 hoarse bark as it dashes off will be heard more often 

 than the animal is seen. Occasionally it takes a 

 good look at the sportsman, and pays the penalty, but 

 more often it is a very wide-awake little animal 

 indeed, and gives good practice in snap-shooting. 

 It is said to charge most viciously when approached 

 wounded, and its horns are as sharp as needles. It 

 is always solitary or in pairs. The weight is about 

 100 Ib. 



The reedbuck does not exist on the Atbara or 

 Settit, although it is abundant on the Kahad, from 

 a march above Hawata, and also on the Galegu ; less 

 so on the Binder, and rare on the Blue Nile. It never 

 stirs far from water, and has no regular drinking hour. 

 It is almost as confiding as the waterbuck, so that 

 the only difficulty should be to select good heads. 

 It is sometimes solitary, but more often in herds 

 of half a dozen. When disturbed, it has a character- 

 istic whistle, and occasionally leaps about in the 

 absurdest fashion. When heard by night, this whistle 

 often means that there is a lion in the vicinity. Its 

 favourite grazing-grounds are the old dried-up beds 

 of lagoons called mayas, and the best time for 

 stalking is the early morning. Its weight is about 

 100 Ib. 



The ariel is the largest member of the gazelle 

 family in the Eastern Sudan, and beyond comparison 



