CAPE HARTEBEEST 129 



Horns of Male Cape Hartebeest. Mr. F. H. Barber's specimen. 



CAPE HARTEBEEST (Bubalis cama). 

 Kama of the Bechuanas. Ingama of the Makalakas. 



Horn-pedicle greatly elongated, horns very sharply bent, and form- 

 ing a letter V when viewed from the front. Height at shoulder about 

 48 inches. General colour brownish fulvous, darker than in any of the 

 preceding ; face (except between the eyes), back of neck, chin, shoulders, 

 thighs, and tail, black or blackish ; lower portion of buttocks with a 

 conspicuous whitish or yellowish blaze, forming a marked contrast to 

 the other colours. 



Distribution. Africa southwards of the Limpopo, but extending 

 farther northwards along the confines of the Kalahari desert. This 

 large and handsome species (the roi hartebeest) is now nearly ex- 

 terminated in the Cape, although still found in the Transvaal. A 

 few still linger in the old Bushman country in the north-west of 

 Cape Colony. Although practically exterminated in the Orange 

 River Colony and in most of the Transvaal (except to the north- 

 west), numbers of hartebeest are to be found in the plains and 

 open forest of British Bechuanaland and the Bechuanaland Protec- 

 torate. In the North Kalahari and the desert-regions about the 

 Botletli River big troops are to be met with. This hartebeest is 

 remarkably fleet and enduring, and by no means easy to bag. 

 Its flesh is palatable, and its brilliant coat much sought after by 

 the native tribes. 



K 



