> 4 o THE SPRING-BOK. 



I stood upon the fore-chest of my wagon for nearly two hours, lost in wonder at the 

 novel and beautiful scene which was passing before me, and had some difficulty in 

 convincing myself that it was reality which I beheld, and not the wild and exaggerated 

 picture of a hunter's dream. During this time, their vast legions continued streaming 

 through the neck in the hills, in one unbroken compact phalanx." 



The wonderful density of these moving herds may be imagined from the fact, that a 

 flock of sheep have been inextricably entangled among a herd of migrating Spring- 

 boks, and carried along with them without the possibility of resistance or even of 

 escape. Even the lion himself has been thus taken prisoner in the midst of a mass of 

 these animals, and has been forced to move in their midst as if he belonged to their 

 own order. Want of water is said to be the principal cause of these migrations, for 

 they have been always observed to depart as soon as the district in which they live has 

 been deprived of water, and to return as soon as the genial rains have returned 

 moisture to the earth, and caused the green herbage to make its appearance. Dr. 

 Livingstone, however, doubts whether the Spring-bok is a sufficiently thirsty animal to 

 be driven into these migrations only by want of water, and thinks that there must be 

 other causes. 



They are extremely fond of the short tender grass as it springs from the earth, and 

 the Bakalahari Kaffirs, taking advantage of this predilection, are in the habit of burning 

 large patches of dry stubbly herbage for the sake of attracting the Spring-boks, who 

 are sure to find out the locality, and to come and feed upon the short sweet grass that 

 always makes its appearance on the site of burnt vegetation. Spring-boks are very 

 seldom seen in the deep, rank grass, that is so plentiful in their native country, for 

 they would not be able to raise their head above the tall blades, and to perceive the 

 lion, leopard, or other enemy that might be crawling towards them under its shelter. 



While engaged in these pilgrimages, the Spring-bok suffers sadly from many foes, 

 man included, who thin their numbers along the whole of their march. Various beasts 

 of prey, such as lions, leopards, hyenas, and jackals, hang around the skirts of the 

 herd, and are always ready either to dash boldly among the moving mass, and to drag 

 out some unfortunate animal which may happen to take their fancy ; or to prowl in a 

 crafty manner about the rear of the troop, in hopes of snapping up the weakly or 

 wounded animals as they fall out of the ranks. The black and white inhabitants of 

 Southern Africa also take advantage of the pilgrimages, and with guns andjspears, 

 which may be used almost indiscriminately among such multitudes of animals, without 

 any particular necessity for a careful aim, destroy myriads of the Spring-boks, and load 

 themselves with an ample supply of hides and meat. 



There is a curious provision of nature for preserving the herds in proper condition. 

 It is evident that as the animals move in a compact mass, the leaders will eat all the 

 pasture, and those in the rear will find nothing but the bare ground, cut to pieces by 

 the hoofs of their predecessors. The rearward animals would therefore soon perish by 

 starvation, did not matters arrange themselves in a rather remarkable manner. The 

 leading Spring-boks, having the choice of the best pasture, soon become so satiated 

 and overloaded with food, that they are unable to keep pace with their eager and hun- 

 grily active followers, and so are forced to drop into the rear. The hindermost animals in ' 

 the mean time are anxiously pushing forward in search of food, so that there is a continual 

 interchange going on as the herd moves onwards, those in front dropping back to the 

 rear, while those in the rear are constantly pressing forwards to take their place in front. 



In size the Spring-bok is rather superior to the Dorcas gazelle, but may be immediately 

 distinguished from that animal by means of the curious white patch of long hairs on the 

 croup, which has already been described. Although the animal is so marvellously agile, 

 the body is rather clumsily formed, and seems to be disproportionately large when 

 contrasted with the slight and delicate limbs on which it is supported. While standing 

 at rest, the Spring-bok may be recognized by the peculiar line of the back, which is more 

 elevated at the croup than at the shoulders. The horns of this animal are much larger in 

 the adult male than in the young' or the female, and when full-grown are marked with 

 eighteen or twenty narrow complete rings. The lyrate form of the horns is not so 

 perceptible in the young Spring-bok as in the older animal, for until the creature has 



