chap. viii. ANECDOTES OF ANTELOPES. 395 



not follow the hounds sufficiently fast to keep them in 

 view. It would be well worth the while of any one going 

 to South Africa, whether for shooting alone, or as a settler, 

 to take two or three couple of these miniature hounds 

 with them, if only for the sport they might have in pete- 

 hunting. 



Five distinct species of antelopes inhabit the open 

 country, though, perhaps, it might be more correct to say 

 that they are not found in the forests ; namely, the oribi 

 and steinbuck, the Vaal raebuck and klipspringer, and 

 the reed buck. The two first of these exist on the tree- 

 less plains, the former preferring the flatter and more 

 unbroken parts where the grass is short, the latter lying 

 in the broken water-courses, on the ridges where the 

 vegetation is luxuriant, and generally in such positions 

 as it finds most sheltered and concealed. The oribi, 

 which I have already spoken of as possessing a wonderful 

 turn of speed, and being one of the swiftest antelopes in 

 Africa, affords very fair shooting. Its peculiar colour so 

 much resembles the soil on which it lies that, trusting 

 to remain unobserved, it often allows you to get within 

 fifteen or twenty yards of where it is squatting. It is 

 a handsome and peculiarly graceful antelope, extremely 

 good eating, and well worth the hunter's attention. One 

 thing he should bear in mind is, that however slightly 

 they may be wounded they will go and he down within 

 a few hundred yards if not chased by a dog, and will in 

 such cases very generally allow him to get within shot 

 again. 



The steinbuck is a far smaller antelope, resembling the 

 red buck in point of size, and though in some places fair 



