THE BLUE- BUCK. 539 



Antelopes, being hardly fourteen inches in height at the shoulder, and of most delicate pro- 

 portions. 



The little creature is so slightly made that it appears to be too fragile to resist the slightest 

 breeze, or to brave the inclemency of the open air. Its legs are very long in proportion to the 

 dimensions of the body, and hardly exceed a lady 1 s finger in thickness. 



The color of the Madoqua is remarkably beautiful, being a silvery-gray on the upper parts 

 of the body and outside of the limbs, deepening into warm chestnut-brown along the back, and 

 becoming pure white on the abdomen, chest, inner surface of the limbs, and around the root 

 of the tail. It is a native of Abyssinia, where it was discovered by Bruce, and is said to 

 inhabit mountainous districts, where it lives in pairs. 



The Rhoode-bok, or Natal Bush Buck {Cephalopus natalensis) is very common in the 

 Natal forests, and although the advance of civilization and the spread of fire-arms among the 

 Kaffirs must greatly reduce the numbers of these animals, still, from their watchful habits and 

 selection of the most retired parts of large dense forests as their residence, they will remain 

 much longer in their old quarters than those animals which inhabit plains and are destitute of 

 any secure retreat. This buck is solitary, and rarely leaves the dense forests except in the 

 evening or during rainy weather, when it seems to prefer feeling the rain drops au naturel to 

 receiving them second-hand from the bushes. 



It is very amusing to watch the habits of this wary buck when it scents danger in the 

 bush. Its movements become most cautious ; lifting its legs with high, but very slow action, 

 it appears to be walking on tip-toe among the briers and underwood, its ears moving in all 

 directions, and its nose pointing upward or towards the suspected locality. If it hears a sud- 

 den snapping of a branch or any other suspicious sound, it stands still like a statue, the foot 

 which is elevated remains so, and the animal scarce shows a sign of life for near a minute. It 

 then moves slowly onwards with the same cautious step, hoping thus to escape detection. If, 

 however, it obtains a sight of danger, or clearly scents some foe, it gives a sharp sneeze, and 

 bounds away through the forest, alarming all other animals in its progress. 



The Kaffirs lay snares for this animal by making a noose which is held to the ground by a 

 small peg, while the other end of the cord is fastened to the bent-down limb of a living tree. As 

 soon as the head of the buck passes into the noose the peg is released, and the victim is jerked 

 into the air by the recoil of the liberated branch, and so strangled. 



The Red Buck is about two feet high, its horns are about three inches long, straight and 

 pointed, and its ears are rather large. 



The color is a deep reddish-brown, which is difficult to distinguish in a dull day, but can 

 be more easily seen on a bright sunny morning, especially if a gleam of light shines through 

 the thick branches and alights on the ruddy coat of the animal. 



The Blue-buck {Cephalopus pygmcea) is scarcely more than a foot in height, and about 

 two feet long. 



It possesses small straight horns about two inches in length, closely annulated ; its color 

 is a dark blue or mouse tint. 



The most practised eyes are required to discover this buck in the bush, as its color is so 

 similar to the gloom of the under-wood that if it did not shake the branches in its progress, it 

 would be scarcely possible to see it. 



Long after the sportsman has become sufficiently acquainted with bush-craft to secure 

 with certainty one or two red bucks during a day' s stalking, he woidd still be iinable to bag 

 the little Blue Buck. 



Several times when I was with a Kaffir, who possessed eyes like those of an eagle, he 

 would point, and with great excitement say, "There goes a Blue-buck! there he is! there, 

 there ! " but it was of no use to me. I would strain my eyes and look to the spots pointed 

 out, but could see no buck ; and it was a considerable time before my sight became sufficiently 

 quick to enable me to drop this little Antelope with any certainty. 



The animal must not be mistaken for the blau-bok {ZEgocerus leucophaus), which will be 



