658 MR. R. CRAWSHAY ON THE [DcC. 2 



again he stops to listen, witli a foot poised, and his large ears turn 

 uneasily in every direction ; watch him when a piece of dead wood 

 drops, or snap a twig and see him start and woriv his ears. Yet all 

 this caution avails him not, for he falls an easy prey to the Leopard, 

 and occasionally to the Lion. 



7. Oreas canna. 



The Eland, " Nchefu " of the Anyanja, " Mhunju " of the Ajawa, 

 " Lnpofu " of the Angoni, and " Sefu " of the Ahenga and Anyika 

 or Apoka, may he said to he almost as widely distributed as the 

 Water-buck ; but frequenting as these Antelopes usually do thickly 

 timbered country, and at the same time being by nature more shy 

 and retiring, they are not nearly so often met with. 



All over Nyasa-land Elands appear to be found, both in the hills 

 and on the wooded plains at the foot of hills ; I have only, 

 however, come across them on the West Coast, though a little to 

 the S.E. of the Lake I have often seen them. In 1885, I came 

 across a few a little beyond Mbapi, to the north of Cape Maclear, 

 and from native report they must be plentiful to the north of that 

 again at Bana and Karali, and from that on to Bandawe ; beyond 

 Bandawe, especially in the neighbourhood of Syiska and Ruarwi, 

 and from that north to the Linyina River (Mlowi's Rikuru), the 

 mountains rise to a height of some 2000 feet, rugged and precipi- 

 tous, sheer out of the Lake, and it is scarcely possible that Elands 

 could frequent such country, though I am told they are plentiful 

 enough on the plateau above. 



Between Chombi (Mt. Waller) and along the entire range of 

 mountains which skirt the plains of the Hara, Fulirwa, and Taowira 

 countries, especially on the Manchewi slopes, large herds can 

 generally be met with ; but to the north of that again^ bordering on 

 the coast, beyond the Chitimba River (Mpyhampya's) they are most 

 numerous, especially in the dry red sandstone hills at the back of 

 Makwawa's, between that and the Kapwekeri River to the north, 

 and again in the undulating highland forests between Nkanga and 

 Fulirwa, and Nkanga and Yuwa, some 20 miles to the northward. 

 At Vuwa, I noticed a great lot of spoor, but actually saw only one 

 animal, a solitary old blue bull with thick stumpy horns. At 

 Mrali, some 18 miles north of Vuwa, we found the remains of a cow 

 Eland killed by Lions. 



The Eland is so very well known, and has been so often described 

 by others more competent than myself, that it seems unnecessary 

 here to say anything on its natural history ; still, a few observations as 

 affecting the Nyasa Eland in general may not be altogether without 

 interest. I may begin by saying that I have only been able to 

 identify one species — Oreas canna ; but this, as in other districts, is 

 subject to great variety both in colour and as regards the plainness 

 or otherwise of the white stripes. In a single troop, individuals may 

 be seen varying from a light tawny yellow to a slaty blue in very old 

 age, while in some the stripes are clearly defined, in others faintlv, 

 and in others again they are not distinguishable at all. Li veiv 



