NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



little creatures usually succeed in doubling back and 

 darting through the line of enemies unscathed. 

 They are very tenacious of life, and keep on running 

 after receiving frightful injuries. 



The natives of Natal and Zululand, with a number 

 of mongrel dogs, hunt these little animals in and 

 out of season, but, in spite of constant persecution 

 by man, and its natural enemies the Python, Jackal 

 and Wild Cat tribe, it continues to hold its own. 



In the dense belts of bush along the coast on the 

 eastern side of the Cape Province this Duiker is 

 quite common. It is regularly hunted in the vicinity 

 of Port Elizabeth with but little success, owing to the 

 denseness and extent of the scrub which it inhabits. 



In the Port Elizabeth Museum an albino was 

 obtained locally, and also another which has the 

 lower portions of both of its back legs white. 



The Blue Duiker rests at night and is active during 

 the daytime. Its food consists of leaves, shoots, 

 berries and wild fruits. I have observed it nibbling 

 tender spring grass. It does not venture into cul- 

 tivated lands, which would expose it to the attacks 

 of eagles, dogs and men. It confines its wander- 

 ings from cover to the secluded forest glades, and 

 the fringes of its bushy home. When travelling 

 along roads through forest lands, a Blue Duiker 

 may occasionally be observed flitting acrossi from 

 one side to the other, but so rapid are its move- 

 ments that the observer is only conscious of a 

 moving, bluish-brown, indistinct streak. 



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