THE WATERBUCK 



131 



scientiously apply that principle in practice ! What a world 

 of chaos and confusion it would save. The head of this 

 rufous waterbuck now hangs on my walls alongside a 

 typical example of the dark East-African form, and the 

 contrast between the two is conspicuous at a glance. 



Before leaving the Khor Filus, I should mention that 

 the gazelles seen thereon belonged, we thought (though 

 we did not shoot a specimen), to the southern race, or 

 Mongalla gazelle (Albonotata), which certainly replaces 

 the typical red-fronted gazelle (Rufifrons] on the Zeraf 

 River, 32 miles to the westward. Probably the Sobat 

 forms the dividing line 

 between the two. An 

 incident in bird-life was 

 also unique in my ex- 

 perience seven great 

 pelicans sitting perched 

 on the topmost branches 

 of a big bare tree ! 



The waterbuck is too 

 well known to need any 

 detailed description ; yet 

 certain habits struck my 



attention which may deserve passing remark. One in 

 particular was the singular degree in which the master-bull 

 of a herd relies for his own safety upon the vigilance of his 

 consorts. Frequently one sees a single old cow or group 

 of cows already alarmed and retiring by stages. These, 

 by stopping, wheeling about and stamping, seek to convey 

 a danger-signal to their listless lord. This is a matter of 

 daily observation and the warning, as a rule, is accepted 

 in time. But the callousness to impending danger 

 occasionally displayed by some old Sultans is remarkable. 

 Having no hostile intent towards the waterbuck of 

 Sudan (where I only shot the three old bulls above men- 

 tioned), I enjoyed perhaps better opportunity of entering 

 into their domestic life than would be the case had 



WATERBUCK BULL. Warned by Wives. 



