372 SAVAGE SUDAN 



same feeling of disgust as one turns from some foul 

 vulture. 



The exact form of the snare is shown in annexed 

 sketch. Snares are strewn about the places where (as 

 shown by their scraped-out beds) the ariel are accustomed 

 to spend their midday siesta. Any animal setting- its foot 

 down within the loop is probably caught, and then 

 tripped up by the crooked branch attached. 



Another primitive form of trap we noticed. This 

 was intended to capture hyenas. A roughly-built stone 

 enclosure was erected at the base of a cliff or escarpment 

 and baited with bones. Any animal entering released a 

 falling trap-door behind, and was thus left a prisoner. 



This isabelline gazelle was a fine young buck, but had 

 not attained a "head" of that supreme quality which 

 alone satisfies a hunter. The lateral stripe (just as in the 

 doe shot a few days before) was ill-defined practically of 

 the same depth of fawn-colour as the back, with a paler 

 zone interposed midway. It had been feeding on the 

 small red berries of a kind of berberris a fruit on which 

 we noticed that Cholmley's sand-partridge {Ammoperdix 

 cholmleyi) also feeds. 



A difficulty in selecting good heads of Isabella is 

 presented by their immensely long ears, which practically 

 conceal the horns from view at long range. Another 

 specific character is worth note. During immaturity the 

 horns are of totally different shape from those of adults. 

 From a very thick base, the horns incline sharply back- 

 wards, then hook strongly forwards closely resembling, 

 in fact, the horns of a reedbuck (" Bohor " type) during 

 babyhood. (See sketch at p. 338.) 



The efforts we made to secure a real trophy of 

 irresponsive "Isabella" shall not be recounted. By my 

 diary I see I fired three shots, each at 300 yards, and 

 each a narrow miss. A fourth, at a big upstanding buck 

 (nearer, but half-hidden among rocks), seemed to strike 

 fair ; yet, such is their incredible vitality, that this gazelle 



