356 Great and Small Game of Africa 



combining to make its herds among the most attractive features of the 

 interior landscape, wherever the nature of the country is adapted to its 

 requirements. 



In this latter respect it is one of the most accommodating of the 

 antelopes, and is met with almost everywhere over a vast region. It is not, 

 so far as I know, found anywhere within 1 50 miles, at least, of the sea (in 

 the coast belt its place is taken by its rarer and somewhat smaller near 

 relative Gazella peters/) ; but in the interior, except in densely bushed or 

 rankly grassed areas, on high mountains, or of course where the land is 

 much cultivated and thickly peopled, one can hardly ever travel a day 

 without seeing at least a tew specimens of this ubiquitous and pretty little 

 beast. Alike in bushy wildernesses and treeless wastes, on level plains and 

 stony hills, even the most rugged — as at the southern end of Lake 

 Rudolph, where there is little but bare rock — Grant's gazelle is at home. 

 But in the open country it finds its most congenial habitat, and there it is 

 most numerous. 



It is often seen in company with zebra, oryx, or (in their own districts) 

 with Coke's hartebeest, or topi, and not infrequently with giraffe ; and 

 when these animals are being stalked it is apt to be very much in the 

 way. Especially is this so in the case of the last named ; for the gazelle 

 seem sometimes to act as outposts for those wary beasts, spying under the 

 bushes while they look over. 



The size of the herds varies commonly from quite a few individuals to 

 twenty, thirty, or up to about fifty ; but in specially favourable localities, 

 such as the plains of Masailand or the high open plateau of the Ongata 

 Barta, south of Mount Nyiro, they may be much larger, as many as a 

 couple of hundred being sometimes seen together. The following of 

 each master ram usually consists of from half a dozen to a dozen does ; 

 and often such little parties are seen separately, the ram of course resenting 

 any other male intrusion except of immature bucks. The larger herds are 



