THE WHITE-EARED COB 173 



fully equal when they do not exceed them in horn 

 length and in all other indices of maturity. 1 



As regards their habits, white-eared cob normally 

 frequent the open plains always on firm dry ground 

 in bands of a dozen to a score or two, though one often 

 sees far larger aggregations. I once counted over one 

 hundred together, mostly does, with a single tiang as 

 chaperon. They drink at, or a trifle before the dawn, 

 and, at such spots as they favour, may always be found 

 by the riverside at break of day. Thence, as light waxes, 

 they graze away inland and, towards noon, reassemble 

 for a siesta. The hot midday hours they spend resting 

 many lying down -either in the open or sheltering from 

 the sun in the shade of trees, should such adjoin their 

 pasturage. At such spots the cob may be found 

 associating with tiang, but as a rule are not much given 

 to herd with other species. When alarmed and running 

 off, these antelopes bound in air, like impala or spring- 

 buck marvellous flying leaps. 



Towards sundown the "teel" may again be seen 

 wending riverwards, often in very great aggregations 

 of many herds mixed, strung out in straggling files for 

 half a mile and more. Occasionally, two or more such 

 columns may be in sight at once, converging on some 

 favourite watering-place. When near the river, however, 

 the various herds squander and loiter about, grazing 

 so long as it is light enough to distinguish. I have 

 never seen them come actually down to the water's edge 

 in daylight, as waterbuck do. 



One morning late in February (1913) we noticed this 

 curious phenomenon. A big grass fire was raging half a 

 mile to the northward, filling the heavens with dense black 



1 At this point it is necessary to put in a word of caution against any 

 judgment being based on mounted heads, whether in museums or private 

 collections. It is well within fny own knowledge that sportsmen innocent 

 of all intent to deceive, but over-anxious to possess handsome trophies 

 habitually order the darker head-skins to be mounted on the skulls of 

 longer-horned (but tawny) examples. 



