ANTELOPES 129 



in some hidden bulb or root, the secret may, perhaps, 

 lie. 



The eastern part of the twenty square miles of bush 

 in which the inyala are most densely congregated in 

 Zululand is occupied by, at a rough computation, some 

 400 of these animals, and with them are found both 

 common and red duikers, bush pigs, and bushbucks. 

 Whatever may be the case elsewhere, the last named 

 are far from uncommon in this inyala bush. I saw their 

 tracks constantly, and Mr. Lehmann, who lives at Nduma, 

 near by, shot a fine ram close to the inyala drinking-place. 

 The impalas, on the contrary, which occupy the western 

 end of the stronghold, never by any chance show them- 

 selves in the inyala territory, though occasional inyalas 

 are to be found on their side. 



In appearance the inyala is rather like a glorified 

 bushbuck, only that -his markings are altogether richer, 

 and the long fringe on throat and back gives the male 

 a distinctive and bulky appearance. Some bulls are 

 very much darker than others, though this is, no doubt, 

 merely an accidental or age variation. Like common 

 bushbuck, the inyala is often covered with lice. The 

 horns are tipped with pale straw colour. The females 

 are very much smaller than the males, are hornless, and 

 differ markedly in colour, being of a bright chestnut hue, 

 while an old bull looks dark greyish-blue. Both sexes 

 are transversely marked with white stripes. 



Inyala like plenty of water, and in the dry season, at 

 least, drink three times a day. In the Zululand Reserve 

 they hang about the margin of a large brackish pan, and 

 seem to prefer its water to that of either the Usutu or 

 Pongola Rivers. The call of this antelope is a loud, 

 hoarse bark, but the males may sometimes be heard 

 grunting. 



