THE ANTELOPES . 219 
projecting piece of rock, and to climb in a series of little jumps up the faces of cliffs which 
seem almost perpendicular. 
In height the klipspringer stands about 1 foot g inches at the shoulder. The males alone 
carry horns, which are straight and ringed at the base, and vary from 3 to 5 inches in 
length. The coat is of a greeny yellow-brown colour, with the hairs hollow and brittle. These 
little animals are usually met with singly, or in twos and threes together. When caught 
young, they become wonderfully tame, and make the most charming pets, being very playful 
and fond of jumping, with surprising ease and grace, from the floor of a room on to any 
elevated position, such as a table, mantelpiece, or window-sill. 
THE WATERBUCKS 
The largest animals in the first of three groups now to be considered are the WATERBUCKS, 
antelopes of stout and sturdy build, standing from 45 to 50 inches at the shoulder, and covered 
with long, coarse hair, especially on the neck, in both sexes. The males alone carry horns, 
which vary from 20 to 36 inches in length, and are strongly ringed in front for three-fourths 
of their length. They are sublyrate in shape, being first inclined backwards and then forwards 
at the tips. There are three well-marked species of waterbuck — vzz. the COMMON WATERBUCK 
of South Africa, whose range ————— = —s 
extends from the Limpopo Vy, i 
northwards, through Nyasa- | 
land to German and British | 
East Africa, and to the | 
Shebeyli River, in Somali- | 
land; the SING-SING of Sene- 
gal and Gambia; and the 
DEFASSA WATERBUCK of 
Western Abyssinia and the 
Nile Valley, south to Uganda 
and British and German East 
Africa. In habits all species 
of waterbuck are very similar. 
They live generally, though 
Ge invariably, ie heres oF These antelopes inhabit the East Russian steppes. The thick woolly coat turns nearly white in 
from ten to twenty individ- ff 
uals, and in such small herds 
there is seldom more than one full-grown male present. In the interior of South Africa the 
waterbuck is often met with amongst steep stony hills and at a distance of more than a mile from 
the nearest river. Speaking generally, however, this antelope may be said to frequent the near 
neighbourhood of water, but to prefer dry to swampy ground. When chased by dogs it always 
makes for water, and will plunge fearlessly into broad, deep rivers, regardless of crocodiles, to 
which ravenous reptiles it sometimes falls a victim. In South Africa waterbuck vary much in 
colour even in the same district, some being reddish brown, whilst others are of a very dark 
grey. The flesh of the waterbuck is coarse, and sometimes rather strongly tasted, and when 
in good condition the fat is very hard. / 
The REEDBUCKS are similar in essential characters to the waterbucks, but are of 
smaller size, and have more bushy tails, and naked spots on the sides of the head beneath 
the ears. 
Of this group the COMMON REEDBUCK of South Africa is the best known. This animal 
stands 3 feet at the withers, and is of a soft greyish fawn-colour, with a large fluffy tail, which 
is always thrown up when the animal runs, exposing the white under-surface. The males alone 
carry horns, which curve backwards and then forwards, and attain a length of from 12 to 16 
inches. Reedbucks are met with singly or in twos and threes, and never congregate in herds, 
7 Photo by S. G. Payne, Aylesbury, by permission of the Hon. Walter Rothschild 
MALE SAIGA ANTELOPES 
Si. 
