344 MAJOR J. S. HAMILTON: FTELD-XOTES ON 



symptoms, was originally bi'ought to the I'iver by herds migrating- 

 from far inland, probably from the Abyssinian bonndary. I feel 

 the more confident of this becanse natives stated that it often 

 made its appearance in years of exti'eme drought, and that some- 

 times all species of game, including elephants, died from it. 



Hartebeest (Lelwel) {Buhalis lelwel). 



West bank. — To aboiit 6°iSrorth (rough]}' the latitude of Tom be). 



East bank. — Extends about as far north as Bor, and this is 

 about its limit northwards. It is never met with in either the 

 Lau Nuer or the Twi Dinka countries (IST. a,nd N.E. of Bor). Its 

 northern limit is therefore practically identical on both tlie west 

 and the east bank, and it slightly overlaps the southern limit of 

 the Thiang along the river on both banks, more so on the west 

 than on the east. 



Nile Leohwe. Mrs. Gray's Waterbuck [Kobus maria). 



The most southerly limit of this species undoubtedly is about 

 halfway between Tombe and Mongalla at about 5° 30' N., where 

 in the dry season there is alwa3'S a herd on an island. 



North of this point they may be encountered in suitable 

 localities on both banks of the river. A little south of the Bahr- 

 el-Za.raf and east of the Bahr-el-Gebel they exist in the Jonglei 

 swamps, where I have seen them. They are, however, more 

 numerous on the west bank, not continuously, but in isolated 

 herds considerable distances apart. An extraoixlinarily tame herd, 

 which can never have had any expei'ience of firearms, exists at one 

 point. The Dinkas hunt the young ones with dogs, but if a man 

 is alone, unaccompanied by a dog, and strolling along very slowly, 

 the animals after a time will disregard his presence and may be 

 approached Avithin 50 yards in the open. This herd consists of 

 about 120 full-grown animals, of which a dozen or so are dark- 

 coloured males. 



The part of the countr}' in which tliis herd is found is a big 

 reed-swamp bordering the river, opening ovit into a. great, flat, 

 treeless plain, which is cut up into sections by a number of 

 swampy streams averaging 20 feet wide by 3 feet deep. Of 

 course, during the rains this is all inundated. If the herd finds 

 itself separated from a man by one of these swampy streams it 

 seems to consider itself perfectly safe. When chased by natives 

 the animals make at once for the nearest of these channels, and, 

 dashing across, halt on the other side. Should the natives follow, 

 the performance is repeated to the next channel. The herd 

 spends most of its time on its open grazing-giound, where it 

 can be seen from a distance of sevei'al miles away, and appears 

 only to use the river reed-swamp as a place of refuge. I think, 

 however, that the females with younger calves spend their 

 whole time therein, until the calves are able to run and swim 

 well. Althougli the usual calving- time is seemingly Januaiy and 

 February, I have never seen any small calves with the herds, and 



