The Defassa Sing-Sing 2,85 



The defassa, like all the waterbucks, is never found far from water, and 

 very rarely far from bush or other cover, into which it can retire for safety, 

 though occasionally it is seen, in places where it is seldom disturbed, a good 

 long way out on the open plains in the early morning. Compared with 

 other antelopes, it is a tame beast, and is not difficult to stalk even in places 

 where other game is quite unapproachable. On one occasion, at the south 

 end of Lake Nakuru, where they are very numerous, and where, from being 

 constantly harassed by the Wanderobbo, the hartebeest and Gazella grant/ 

 were so wild that they went clean away when I was half a mile off", two lots 

 of defassa, standing and lying down under the shade of large isolated trees, 

 allowed me and my gun-bearers to walk past them within 120 yards, and 

 even when the caravan came up they only moved about 50 yards farther 

 off. On another occasion, at Baringo, I walked past a small herd within 

 80 yards, and beyond standing and gazing at me in their delightfully 

 inquisitive-looking way, they took no notice of me. 



The cows drop their young from about the middle of December to the 

 end of February. The calves are hardy, jolly little beasts, and very soon 

 become remarkably tame in captivity. One I have at the Ravine Station was 

 eight months old when I left in August 1898, and was then a little more than 

 half grown. He was quite tame and had the free run of the whole place, 

 but never went far from the fort and returned again regularly about four 

 o'clock. His horns were just beginning to show when I left, while his 

 companion, a young cow hartebeest, Bubalisjacksoni, which was two months 

 younger, had already developed horns over 2 inches long. 



The measurements and weights of a bull and cow taken on the spot, not 

 gralloched, are as follows : — Bull, total length, 8 feet 1^ inches ; height at 

 shoulder, 4 feet 3 inches ; tail, 1 foot 3^ inches ; weight, 487 lbs. Cow, 

 total length, 7 feet 8 inches ; height at shoulder, 3 feet 8-J inches ; tail, 

 1 foot 1^ inches ; weight, 395 lbs. The cows have four teats. 



F. J. Jackson. 



