2,86 Great and Small Game of Africa 



Mrs. Gray's Waterbuck {Cobus war'ue) 



Dinka Name, Abohk ; Nuehr Name, Til 



This very rare waterbuck is, with the next species, C. kucotis, amongst 

 the handsomest and most striking of all the African water-loving antelopes. 

 The rich dark reddish-brown coat, the singular white markings upon the 

 head, back of neck, shoulders, tail, and under parts, and the fine horns, 

 render it a prize worthy of any hunter's toil and skill. The ears, upper 

 part of the head, and a space in front of the eyes are whitish. A space 

 round the lips, together with the chin and throat, are clear white. The 

 front of the face is very dark brown. A pure white Y-like marking runs 

 from the back of the ears down the nape of the neck, and widens out 

 into a broad saddle-like patch upon the withers. Spotless white markings 

 are also noticeable along the sides from the shoulder to the middle of the 

 lower part of the barrel, upon the hips, and along either side of the tail. 

 There is a white marking round the hoofs, and the centre of the belly and 

 the inner parts of the limbs are white also. This waterbuck stands from 

 3 feet to 3 feet 6 inches at the shoulder. The horns, which have a peculiar 

 sinuous twist, range, so far as at present known, from 26 inches to 30 

 inches in length over the front curve, with a circumference of about 

 6 inches. The longest recorded pair, in the possession of the Berlin 

 Museum, measure 30I inches, 17 inches from tip to tip, and 6^ inches in 

 circumference. There is a good pair, measuring 29 1 inches, in Mr. 

 Walter Rothschild's Museum at Tring. Altogether a most remarkable 

 waterbuck this, the contrast between the rich dark chocolate of the general 

 body-colour and the white markings being almost unique among 

 antelopes. If the Boers ever encounter it in their trekkings north, they 

 will no doubt christen it the " Bonte-kringaat " or " Bonte-waterbok " — 

 pied waterbuck ! 



