144 ANIMAL LIFE IN AFRICA 



north-eastern Transvaal, where it is found all along the 

 course of the Lebombo Hills as far as the Crocodile River 

 at Komati Poort. It is most numerous (in the Transvaal) 

 between the Limpopo and Letaba Rivers, and least 

 often found in its range south of the Sabi River. It 

 reappears in good numbers, however, in Swaziland, and 

 is found all along the border between that country and 

 Portuguese East Africa, on both sides of the Lebombo. 

 It probably also occurs in northern Zululand, that is as 

 far as the southern extremity of the Lebombo Hills. 



Owing to the white hairs in its coat it is often mistaken 

 by hunters for the grysbuck ; it has, however, no false 

 hoofs. In size it is rather less than the steenbuck. The 

 body-hair is long and rather coarse, and of a reddish 

 colour much darker than the chestnut of the steen- 

 buck. All over the body, but especially on the flanks, 

 are a number of white hairs mingled with the red ones, 

 giving the animal a grizzled appearance. The horns, 

 which are present in the males only, are very short, 

 seldom more than a couple of inches long. 



It is usually found (in the Transvaal) in very thick 

 patches of bush, on, or at the foot of, the rough stony 

 ridges of the Lebombo Hills, and usually at no great 

 distance from water. Often, however, it lies out on the 

 bare ridges, among the rocks and boulders, a big stone 

 or a tuft of grass affording it sufficient covert. Its colour 

 almost exactly matches the red tint of the Lebombo 

 rocks, and consequently when it chooses to lie close it is 

 a most difficult animal to see. It feeds at night or in the 

 very late evenings and early mornings, and, except on 

 dull days, always lies up for the daylight hours among 

 boulders, bush, or long grass. I think it also often goes 

 to ground in the disused burrows of ant-bears during the 

 day, in this way resembling the steenbuck. 



