440 THE EASTERN HUNTERS. 



the little party separated, each taking a line of his 

 own, so as to interfere as little as possible with his 

 neighbour. Each had brought with him his syce, 

 a spear, and two or three men from the last village, 

 and these of course now accompanied their re- 

 spective masters. 



Mackenzie, who was in the centre with Norman 

 on his right, was the first to detect a nice herd of 

 antelope, with several good bucks among them. 



The appearance of the buck and doe antelope is 

 widely dissimilar. The former has spiral annulated 

 horns, extending in- the very finest specimens to, I 

 believe, six-and-twcnty inches in length. I have 

 never seen a pair so long, having myself only suc- 

 ceeded in obtaining them about twenty-four ; but I 

 have been informed such have been met with. 



The buck when in maturity is very dark, almost 

 black indeed, the species goes by the name of 

 " Black buck " both among English sportsmen and 

 native shikarees with a white belly ; the head, 

 neck, and legs being also partially black, relieved 

 with white. Altogether he is a very handsome 

 animal. The doe is for the most part of a rufous 

 fawn colour, light about the belly, along which is a 

 longitudinal stripe. She is much smaller than the 

 buck, has no horns, and her skin is not nearly so 

 handsome a trophy. 



