The Common Duiker 233 



The duiker is distributed generally in pairs or singly throughout 

 Southern Africa, from the Cape to the Zambesi, and wherever I have 

 travelled north of that river, through Portuguese Zambesia and the 

 Mozambique province, I have met with it, though less frequently than in 

 the south. They are partial either to open country, with scattered patches 

 of bush, to foothills and wooded kloofs, to scrub jungle or thin forest. If 

 water is near they drink about every other day, but I have met with them in 

 absolutely waterless localities. 1 They eat alike leaves of shrubs and grass, 

 and, like bushbuck, red duiker, and bluebuck, greedily devour all manner 

 of berries and wild fruit in season. The young are born at the commence- 

 ment of the rainy season ; they are easily tamed, and make charming pets. 

 They seem to become almost omnivorous. I had 

 one which devoured portions of a "Tarn o' Shanter," 

 pieces of " blue-mottled " soap, a ball of twine, jam, 

 pudding, and cake, without any apparent ill-effect. 

 Duiker are not swift of foot, but are so wary and 

 dive so cunningly through the scrub, dodging first ' 



one way, then another, that only a good dog will Duiker. From specimen 



a • ™, , , . , c shot by Mr. F. C. Selous. 



run them in. They are sometimes hunted with fox- 

 hounds in Bechuanaland and elsewhere, and have pace and staying power 

 sufficient to enable them to stand well before their pursuers. Should a 

 duiker observe any one approaching and think himself unseen, he dodges 

 behind the scrub in such a way as to make it appear that he has lain 

 down ; but not a bit of it, he will not be found there if one goes to look, 

 for he slipped away the moment he was out of sight, and is now bounding 

 like an india-rubber ball through the bush, 150 yards away. The flesh 

 is of poor quality, only fit for soup or stew. 



The common duiker seems ti 



jbcal 



most indcpcndci 



, African mid-winter— the dr : 



r seaso 



n— in the heart 



:ime find no possible drinking 



-place. 



—En. 



