The Puku Antelope. 183 



I have never heard that inyala exist there, but it is 

 possible that they do, or they may have existed and been 

 exterminated ; although this is doubtful, as the natives are 

 not possessed of guns, and they would be unlikely to 

 exterminate any species by hunting with dogs and spears, 

 or even with nets, in the type of country these antelopes 

 inhabit. 



I believe that when the valley of the Luangvva River 

 becomes better known, that the existence there of the 

 inyala will be proved as a fact ; and it is possible that it 

 also inhabits other little-known country in Central Africa. 



PUKU (Cobus vardoni}. 



NATIVE NAMES. 

 Chinyanja - - Seuli. Chingoni - - Seuli. 



Approximate weight, $ lyolb. 



Good average horns, $ i6^in. front curve. 



Scarce in Nyasaland, and very localised, although they 

 exist in great numbers in the Luangwa valley, and on the 

 banks of most of its tributaries. In Nyasaland it is only 

 found on the Bua River, and the heads there are not nearly 

 so good as those of North-Eastern Rhodesia, where they 

 sometimes grow to over 2oin. 



The puku also exists south of the Zambesi in suitable 

 localities. It is never found far from water, and I have 

 often seen them lying on the sandbanks of the Luangwa 

 River in the dry season. It is of a yellowish colour, 

 with white belly, and in shape well formed. The meat is 

 tough eating, and the animal is very tenacious of life, like 

 the waterbuck, unless well hit, when it is as easily killed 

 as any antelope. 



The males fight a good deal. I have noticed them 

 doing so on several occasions, and I once picked the point 

 of another ram's horn out of the neck of one I shot. 

 Sometimes when a ram is shot it will attack another, 

 thinking it was the cause of the injury. Puku rams often 



