ISO 



Great and Small Game of Africa 



district of the Sinaitic peninsula, living is precarious, owing to the 

 uncertain rainfall, there being frequently no rain sufficient to do any 

 appreciable good to vegetation for two or three years. This, I submit, 

 accounts for the extraordinary irregularity of the knobs on the horns of 

 the so-called C. sinaitica, which may be attributed to poor and uncertain 

 feeding. The rutting season com- 

 mences in September, and lasts for 

 two or three weeks. After that 

 period the big males appear to 

 leave the bands and retire to their 

 mountain fastnesses, since they are 

 then very difficult to find. Should, 

 however, rain fall, and especially if 

 accompanied by thunder, the old 

 bucks at once reappear, traversing 

 the country in search of the does, 

 and are again to be found with 

 the bands during October and 

 November. 



From November to January 

 their coats are in their best con- 

 dition, after that period the colour 

 becoming lighter and the hair 

 beginning to be shed. 

 Owing to the fear of leopards, which prey upon them to a great extent, 

 these ibex do not appear to sleep much during the night. As a rule, they 

 lie down at about nine o'clock in the morning tor an hour or two, and 

 again during the mid-day heat, one female being of course on guard, and 

 she — the watching female — being very difficult to circumvent. Their sense 

 of smell and hearing are very acute. At the first shot they are off; and, 



-Head < 



(mm the Sin 



