1899.J BLUE DUIKER OF THE CAPE COLOXY. 831 



the ground are comparatively clear, hence the little Blue Duiker, 

 or Blue-buck, as it is generally called, moves about iu what to him 

 is practically open bush, in which objects are visible at a con- 

 siderable distance : thus the stooping, strugghng form of the 

 stalker worming a passage through an opening two feet square 

 in an unvielding wall of thorns, or striving to free himself from 

 the too firm embrace of a network of " wacht-een-beetje "' bushes, 

 cannot fail to attract attention long before the little grey watcher, 

 standing motionle.'-'S in the shadows, has been discovered. 



At the bush-driv.es so common in the Colony, Blue-buck are 

 seldom turned out ; they will keep such dogs as have not learned 

 wisdom of esperience tearing round and round a kloof all day, but 

 wdl never venture to break unless by chance a hard-pressed indi- 

 vidual takes advantage of some narrow bush-strip at an unwatched, 

 unthought-of point to escape by way of it into the next kloof. 

 The Blue-buck may be easily bagged, however, in the early 

 morning by the exercise of a little judgment. The direction of 

 the wind must be studied before all things, then search must be 

 made for the most frequented " paths " or " runs." Should one be 

 found which is evidently a main path to and from certain feeding- 

 grounds, this can be watched ; but a surer method is to tiud a spot 

 where they are accustomed to feed on the surroundin": bushes. 

 In such places many converging paths \\ill be seen, in view of 

 which, at a short distance dov.ai wind, the watcher must take his 

 stand before sunrise, keeping out of sight behind a bush or fallen 

 tree-trunk. Under such circumstances, his j^atience will not be 

 severely taxed before he is rewarded by a sight of the little grey 

 wood-elves. In localities where water is handy, the paths to 

 and from it may be watched. In the heat of summer Blue-buck 

 frequently drink between noon and 2 p.m., but, as is the case 

 with the Bush-buck, in the extensi\'e arid regions of this Colony, 

 the want of water troubles the Blue-buck not at all ; during the 

 trying drought w hich has raged over the Gramtoos river district 

 for the past fifteen months, countless numbers of both Bush- 

 buck and Blue-buck have certainly not tasted water from one 

 week's end to another. 



In httle disturbed localities I have seen Blue-buck playing about 

 in pairs on fairly open ground bordering the kloofs as late as 8 a.m., 

 and towards evening, during the hour before sunset, they may often 

 be seen standing in or crossing any quiet road which passes through 

 scrub-bush. But they are very quick, and though in the dusk 

 they will stand watching the intruder curiously, yet before the 

 light fails they usually scuttle off very promptly, uttering their 

 sharp, but by no means shrill alarm whistle. They are apt soon to 

 stand again, however, so that if silently follow ed up, a shot may 

 be obtained. AVhen lying up for the day they usually select 

 spots overgrown with thorn-bush and other vegetation, reaching 

 these from the more open bush, in which they feed, by regularly 

 frequented paths. 



It will be remarked that v^hile in many respects their habits are 



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