}0 2 Great and Small Game of Africa 



that species. The feet, however, of both the lechwe and situtunga are 

 alike in that they are devoid of hair at the back of the hoofs up to the 

 dew claws, black hairless skin taking the place in both these species of the 

 thick covering of hair which is present behind the hoofs of every other 

 species of antelope found in South Africa. I have read in standard works 

 on the life-history of African antelopes that the lechwe and pookoo are in 

 the habit of consorting together. Personally I have never seen lechwe 

 and pookoo antelopes feeding together, and the two species frequent such 

 different kinds of ground, that I cannot believe they would ever be likely 

 to mingle except under very exceptional conditions. It is true that when 

 elephant hunting on the Chobi a quarter of a century ago, I often saw 

 herds of lechwe and pookoo antelopes feeding within a mile, or even half a 

 mile, of one another ; but then the pookoo were grazing on the dry ground 

 along the southern bank of the Chobi, where there were no lechwe, whilst 

 the latter were standing about in hundreds, knee-deep or belly-deep in the 

 flooded grass plains on the other side of the river ; and on these flooded 

 plains there were no pookoos. 



The lechwe is by far the handsomest of all the Cobus group of ante- 

 lopes inhabiting the more southerly portion of the African continent ; for 

 though smaller than the waterbuck, it is richer in colouring and more 

 graceful in movement than that species, whilst if the horns of the males of 

 the lechwe and waterbuck be compared, the palm must be given to those 

 of the former animal for elegance and beauty, though they do not attain to 

 quite the same length as in the larger species. 



A full-grown male lechwe stands about 3 feet 4 or 5 inches in height 

 at the withers, and is a very symmetrical-looking animal, although the body 

 is thick-set and heavy. The general colour of the body is a rich dark red, 

 with white belly and black markings down the front of both the fore and 

 hind legs. The tail reaches to the level of the hocks, and is covered with 

 close short hair to near the point, which is ornamented with a small black 



