ANTELOPES 121 



general outward appearance, the habits of elands are 

 more akin to those of goats than of cattle. Where water 

 is at hand, they drink regularly about twice a day in 

 the dry weather, but in deseit regions where the rainfall 

 is scanty, and streams and permanent water are absent, 

 they seem relatively independent of it. 



They are generally found in rather open forest, and 

 are seldom met with far from covert of some kind. I 

 have often come across them in very thick mopani scrub. 



Their favourite gait, when in a huny, is a fast tiot ; 

 they seldom gallop for more than quite a short distance. 

 For such heavy animals, their leaping powers are most 

 remarkable, and it is not an uncommon spectacle to see 

 the members of a herd jumping over each other when 

 making off. 



Elands are silent animals. A low, rolling grunt, some- 

 times uttered by both sexes, is the only sound I ever 

 heard them 'make; but the calves bleat like those of 

 domestic cattle when frightened. They are very harmless 

 and naturally gentle creatures, and can be captured and 

 easily tamed even when quite large. Mr. Sanderson of 

 Logogote in the north-east Transvaal, relates how, years 

 ago, he rode down, and, with the aid of his natives, 

 captured and secured a young bull and heifer, each of 

 about a year old, and, though the former died from the 

 injuries inflicted by his struggles when first roped, the 

 latter survived, became extremely tame, and wandered 

 in and around the farm buildings for years, until one 

 day she was shot by some Boers passing on their way 

 to the winter stock grazing. 



At Sabi Bridge I have found the elands not very ready 

 to mix with the full-grown cattle, though they herd freely 

 with the calves of the latter and become very friendly 

 with them. Consequent upon some difference of opinion 



