258 AFRICAN NATURE NOTES CHAP. 



although gemsbuck run with great speed and 

 endurance, they are inferior in these respects to 

 the tsessebe, Cape hartebeest, Lichtenstein's harte- 

 beest, blue and black wildebeest, and to the blesbok. 

 I should put their running powers much on a par 

 with those of the sable and roan antelope. 



Gemsbucks being usually found in open country, 

 as a rule get a good start, and I can well believe 

 that a man mounted on a horse in low condition or 

 only grass-fed would never get up to them at all ; 

 but a good South African shooting pony, in hard 

 condition and fed regularly morning and evening on 

 maize, ought to carry a twelve-stone man up to a 

 herd of gemsbucks every time. 



I have twice found gemsbucks in company with 

 a herd of Burchell's zebras, and on both occasions 

 in very open ground. On sighting me the former 

 animals at once took the lead and galloped off, 

 closely followed by the latter. On the first occasion 

 they had a long start, and husbanding my horse, I 

 only drew up to them gradually. There were only 

 four gemsbucks three cows and a bull and about 

 a dozen zebras ; and these latter, when I at length 

 drew up within a hundred yards, entirely prevented 

 my getting a shot at the more coveted game. The 

 horse I was riding had a very good turn of speed, 

 so I then let him out as hard as he could go, and 

 galloped right through the zebras, which scattered 

 to either side of me, and then reforming in one 

 herd, went off by themselves. The gemsbucks 

 were now going at their utmost speed, and when I 

 had passed the zebras were still sixty or seventy 

 yards in front of me. The bull was only to be 

 distinguished from the cows by his somewhat 

 heavier build and shorter though stouter horns. 

 Pulling my horse in as quickly as possible, I jumped 

 to the ground, and aiming for the centre of the 

 black patch which bedecks the hind -quarters of 



