THE MOUNTAIN ANTELOPE 1 3 



time, if he cannot advance without being seen, and generally, 

 from his being so close, if he does get in on the herd the run 

 is too short to be of much interest. 



I have killed many an antelope since those early days in 

 other parts of Southern India, and I was fortunate enough 

 when shooting on the Pulneys, to come across and shoot 

 three does of a rather rare antelope known as the mountain 

 antelope ; and again on the 26th of November, 1863, I shot a 

 buck of the same species near Pykara on the Neilgherries. 

 I was out after sambur and Francis (my shikarie), proposed that 

 I should go and post myself near Neilds shola, while the men 

 beat along the slopes ; so away I went carrying the Lang rifle 

 in the Highland sling, the Breechloader on my arm, and the 

 Ross in my hand ; as I came above the little round shola 

 under the rocks I saw what I took to be a jungle sheep 

 (Cervulus muntjac) standing looking at me amongst the rocks 

 on the opposite slope about 140 yards off. I hesitated 

 whether I would try the Breechloader, but I trusted to the 

 Ross ; there was a loud tell, but a lot of dust flew up, and 

 when I got to the place, I found the bullet flattened against 

 a rock, and it did not look as if it had gone through the 

 animal. I took up the track and immediately found a few 

 specks of blood which increased as I went on, and about 

 a hundred yards further on I found the animal lying dead, it 

 having rolled part of the way down the hill side. What was 

 my astonishment and pleasure on finding that I had shot a 

 buck mountain antelope. It resembles very much the does I 

 had previously killed only the lower jaw is whiter ; the lach- 

 rymal sinus was much swollen and full of white gluey matter ; 

 the horns were set at slightly different angles and their points 

 as sharp as needles. 



