THE MADOQUA. 645 



They produce one fawn at a time, which can be easily caught with a good dog, and 

 is particularly recommended as a table delicacy, when cooked with a proper mixture 

 of fat. 



The Ourebi does not carry off so heavy a charge of shot as the duyker or the reit- 

 bok, and if wounded by a bullet, the sportsman is certain to secure his prize, provided 

 that he watches the animal with care. When badly hit, they will frequently retire into 

 long grass, and crouching low, will hide themselves from the casual observer. They 

 will then creep away for several yards, and lie down behind a stone, ant-hill, or some 

 similar cover. When the hunter passes and overlooks them, they will jump up and 

 retreat as soon as his back is turned. Taking advantage of this practice, I always 

 avoid looking directly at an Ourebi if I see it lying on the plain, and after taking 

 ' bearings ' of its position, I ride round the prostrate animal in circles, gradually draw- 

 ing nearer and nearer, until it can be easily shot." 



The Ourebi stand about two feet in height at the shoulder, and is about four feet in 

 length. The horns of the full-grown male are about five inches long, straight, and 

 pointed, and covered with bold rings at the base. The color of the Ourebi is pale 

 tawny above, and white below. The female is hornless. 



ONE of the prettiest and most graceful of the Antelopes is the KLIPPSPRINGER, or 

 KAINSI (Oreotragus saltdtrioc]. 



This " darling little Antelope," as Gordon Cumming terms it, almost equals the 

 chamois in its agile traversing of the precipitous localities in which it takes up its 

 residence. It is peculiarly formed for rocky ground, its hoofs being small, hard, sharply- 

 pointed, and so formed that when the animal stands, its weight rests only on the tips of 

 the feet. It may often be seen perched on some narrow point of vantage, standing 

 like the chamois, with all its feet drawn closely together, and calmly surveying the 

 prospect from a height which would prove instantly fatal were one of its feet to miss 

 its hold. When startled, it dashes at once at the most precipitous rocks that are within 

 reach, and bounds up their apparently inaccessible faces as if it were an India-rubber 

 ball endowed with sudden vitality. The least projection serves it for a foothold, and 

 its movements are so rapid, that a very few seconds serve to place it in safety from 

 any other foe than a rifle-ball. 



The Bechuanas have a curious idea that the cry of the Klippspringer is a kind of 

 invocation to the pluvial powers of air, and are therefore in the habit of catching 

 a number of these poor little creatures whenever they suffer from drought, and of 

 making them cry continually by blows and pinches until rain falls. They rightly 

 boast that it is a most infallible method of making rain, which is truly the case, as 

 they never cease until the desired moisture is seen. In a similar manner the Ameri- 

 can Indians vaunt the potency of their sacred bison-dance for attracting the " buffalo," 

 for if the bison herds do not make their appearance at the proper time, they commence 

 the efficacious saltation, and never leave off until their scouts bring news of the desired 

 herds. 



The color of the Klippspringer is dark brown, sprinkled largely with yellow, which 

 gives to the coat a grizzled aspect. Each hair is yellow at the extremity, brown 

 towards the end, and gray for the remaining part of its length. The tint of this animal 

 is rather variable, according to the season of year and the age and sex of the individual. 

 It is a very little creature, being scarcely twenty-one inches in height when full-grown. 

 In general form it is not unlike the ibex kid of six or seven months old. The female 

 is hornless. 



THE graceful and slender-limbed MADOQUA (Nebtragus Saltidnd] is one of the tiniest 

 of Antelopes, being hardly fourteen inches in height at the shoulder, and of most deli- 

 cate proportions. 



The little -creature is so slightly made that it appears to be too fragile to resist the 

 slightest breeze, or to brave the inclemency of the open air. Its legs are very long in 

 proportion to the dimensions of the body, and hardly exceed a lady's finger in thickness. 

 The color of the Madoqua is remarkably beautiful, being a silvery-gray on the upper 



