ANTELOPES. 



303 



The South African antelope known as the roi rhebok (C. lalandi), 

 which, by the way, must not be confounded with the true or vaal 

 rhebok, is a smaller but nearly-allied species, standing only about 28 inches at the 

 shoulder. It has long and coarse reddish-brown hair on the upper-parts, while 

 beneath it is white. The horns are seldom more than 8 or 9 inches in length, and 

 bend forwards in a sharp sweep, without any outward inclination. The West 

 African nagor (C. redunca) is closely allied to, if not identical with, this species ; 

 the coloration being similar, and the small horns not usually exceeding 6 inches in 

 length. The other representative of the genus is the bohor (C. bohor), extending 

 in East Africa from Abyssinia to Masailand ; it is a larger and brighter-coloured 

 animal than the last, from which it is also distinguished by certain characters of 

 the skull. 



WATER-BUCK, LICHI, ETC. 

 Genus Cobus. 



The antelopes included in the genus Cobus are water-loving animals, generally 

 of larger size than the reitbok, and associating in herds. Their horns are long, 

 sublyrate, and ringed nearly throughout ; the tail is longer than the reitbok, and 

 tufted at the end. As in the latter, the gland below 

 the eye is rudimentary ; and the colour, with the excep- 

 tion of some patches on the rump and the head is uniform. 

 The muzzle is naked. The skull may be distinguished 

 from that of Cervicapra by the premaxillary bones 

 reaching upwards to join the nasals. 



The water -buck (C. ellipsiprymnus) 

 stands upwards of 4 feet or more at the 

 withers, and is characterised by its long and very coarse 

 hair, which varies in colour from reddish brown to dark 

 grey, with an oval ring of white on the buttocks, extend- 

 ing above the tail, a white gorget on the throat, a streak 

 of the same colour on part of each eye, and some white 

 near the muzzle. Good horns average about 28 inches 

 along the curve, but they may measure 30, 31, or even 

 33 J inches; their colour is pale. Water-buck inhabit 

 Southern and Eastern Africa to some distance north of 

 the Zambesi ; and they are never found in herds of more 

 than twenty individuals. Mr. Selous states that the 

 water-buck is most partial to steep stony hills, and is 

 often found at a distance of more than a mile from the 

 nearest river, for which, however, it always makes when 



pursued. Though a heavy-looking beast, it can clamber with wonderful speed and 

 sureness of foot up and down the steepest hillsides. In Nyasaland Mr. Crawshay 

 writes, that water-buck are always found in greatest numbers on large swampy 

 plains overgrown with coarse grass, tall reeds, and papyrus, where in the wet 

 season it is almost impossible to get at them ; unlike other antelopes, except the 



Water-Buck. 



HEAD OF WATER-BUCK. After 



Selous. 



