CHAPTER VI 



Monday, 12th June, saw us once more on the move, travelling north-eastward 

 along a hunters' trail, towards the Bubye River. The following day we 

 reached Michelfontein, a lovely spot standing amongst big trees, and adorned 



HEAD OF AN ADULT REEDBUCK, SHOWING SOFT HORN BASES ^ 



with what I had never expected to see — a real " Afric's sunny fountain," with 

 no humbug about it. Water clear and crystal as a Highland stream, and 



' I give the above photo to support the illustration on page 169, wherein I wish to introduce to 

 my naturalist readers a very remarkable fact with regard to adult reedbuck rams. All ruminating animals 

 have curious pouches of musky secretions situated in -various parts of the body, and the use of these to the 

 animal does not yet seem to be known. Most of them have only the tear duct or suborbital sinus full of an 

 oily mucus which at certain seasons becomes highly inflamed and discharges. In the deer, klipspringer, and 

 Indian blackbuck this is developed to an extraordinary extent ; whilst the gnus, hartebeests, and gazelles have 

 in addition little pockets in front of and just above the hoofs, in which is also secreted an oil gland. Mr. 

 Baillie Grohmann informs me that both the chamois and the White Rocky Mountain goat have a pouch con- 



