x-jo 



Great and Small Game of Africa 



of water, measures at the shoulder — I speak of the full-grown male — 

 about 4 feet 4 inches in extreme height, while in length it attains rather 

 more than 8 feet. The face is brown in colour, the forehead as well as 

 the hair round the base of the horns and behind the eyes rufous. Space 

 round muzzle and lower lip white. A white streak before the eyes, white 

 throat-patch, and a remarkable white elliptical band over the rump, as it 

 were encircling the tail. The general body-colouring varies from grayish- 

 brown to rufous. The hair is very coarse in texture. Upon the neck the 

 coat is very full, long, and reversed, in character somewhat like a rough 

 mane. The ears are white inside, rounded and large ; upon the outside 

 they are brown in colour. Legs dark brown. The tail is brown, 

 moderately tufted, and reaches barely to the hocks. 



The male only carries horns, which attain in good specimens from 

 28 to 30 inches. The longest recorded pair oi waterbuck horns are in the 

 possession of Mr. F. H. Barber. They were procured near Delagoa Bay 

 and measure 36^ inches over the outer curve. The horns of the waterbuck 

 are greenish-brown in colour, white towards the tips ; they are thick and 

 robust, tapering towards the point, strongly annulated for three-fourths of 

 their length, and curve mostly forward, outwards, and, towards the points, 

 inwards. A good pair, 33-^ inches in length, measure at the base slightly 

 over 10 inches in circumference. Mr. J. G. Millais, in A Breath from the 

 Veldt, says : — " I fancy that, after a certain age, the waterbuck rubs and 

 wears his horns to a very great extent, as the majority of old rams one sees 

 have very short, thick, stunted horns." Here he is undoubtedly correct. 

 He goes on to add : "The best heads are those that are only just adult and 

 whose bases are still slightly soft and full of blood." The animal is of 

 robust build, thick and heavy in the body and short in the leg. It is 

 distinguished by a strong scent, which is readily to be noticed, even by the 

 European nose. 



The waterbuck is gregarious and is found — in places where it has not 



