THE ORIBI— THE KLIPSPRIXGER 161 



stone's antelope. Tl:ey are far from gregarious, 

 as this term is usutJly applied, for as a rule a 

 male accompanied by one or two females make 

 up the family party. When disturbed cr startled, 

 oribi go straight away, never pausing to look 

 back : and, ungallant as I regret to be compelled 

 to admit it, the male alwrys leads the way. 



As we come to the mountain regions 

 another minute but graceful form is that of the 

 leaping Klipspringer. Here is another advo- 

 cate of abstention from Liquid nourishment, 

 whose scle refreshment of that kind is said to 

 be obtained by chewing the moist fronds of the 

 common aloe. Still there can be no doubt, 

 when regard is had to the arid fastnesses of the 

 granite ranges he inhabits, that in the dry or 

 winter season it would be impossiljle for him to 

 obtain water. 



One of his peculiarities is the extraordinary 

 bj^ly texture of his coarse gre\"ish coat, and 

 the second is his remarkable hoof, which gives 

 him a spoor more closely resembling that of a 

 small pig than anything else I can recall. But 

 the amazing, chamois-like confidence with which 

 he leaps from one craggy rock to another appar- 

 ently so distant as to render reaching it impossible 

 for anything unendowed with wings, sailing 

 almost bird-like over frightful chasms, and 

 bounding at fuU speed along the edges of dizzy 

 slopes, must be seen to be beUeved. Needless 

 to say, he is not easily bagged. He frequents 

 the sheltered side of a mountain range, especially 

 those whose waU-Uke sides rise from an inner 



