The Inyala 465 



compactly built beast ; but this last-named species is an inhabitant of a 

 totally different part of East Africa. 



The inyala differs as to its habits from the smaller bushbuck in that it 

 is gregarious, like the koodoos. At the present day the herds are small, 

 though the natives assured me that formerly, before the introduction of 

 guns, they were commonly much larger. Sometimes the does with their 

 young and the immature males are in herds by themselves, the adult rams 

 living singly or associating together after the manner of the other gregari- 

 ous antelopes. At other times one big ram accompanies a herd of does. A 

 doe is, I think, only found alone when she has a newly-born fawn. This 

 happens in July or August. 



On the question of the average size of the herds of inyala, I will quote 

 my friend Mr. C. R. Saunders, C.M.G., now Resident Commissioner of 

 Zululand, himself a keen sportsman, who has probably had more oppor- 

 tunities of observing this rare antelope than any one now living, and who 

 has kindly given me some interesting particulars about so little known an 

 animal. In reply to my request for information on some points as the 

 result of his experience, he writes : — 



"The largest number of inyala I have seen in one herd is sixteen, of 

 which four were big rams. The herds usually vary from eight to that 

 number. When they have not been much disturbed you seldom find a doe 

 alone, although the old rams are so found ; but at certain seasons of the year 

 when the males separate from the females the former go in small troops, as 

 many as eight being seen together. . . . Having shot a good many, I 

 consider it the easiest animal in these parts to shoot. On one occasion I 

 stalked up to within 60 yards of five rams in the open, shot one whilst 

 I was lying down, and immediately rose to my feet, thinking the others 

 would make off; but they stood watching the one that had fallen. I then 

 shot a second with the left barrel. The three remaining still stood, and I 

 could have shot the lot had I wished to, as they only moved off on my 

 3 ° 



