THE SPORTSMAN IN SOUTH AFRICA. • 43 



the Masarasara Flats, creating the vast marsh which is marked 

 on most maps as Lake Kumandau. The species is still plentiful, 

 and may often be met with in large herds on the swampy 

 margins of the Mababe, Tamulakani, and Chobe Rivers. At one 

 time common at Lake 'Ngami and in the great marshes of the 

 Okavango, of late years the Lechwe has become very scarce in those 

 localities. Although not actually living in the water like the Na- 

 kong, it is never met with out of sight of it, and is usually 

 observed wading in the flooded plains or cropping the rank grass and 

 sprouting reeds on the alluvial land from which water has recently 

 receded. Owing to their being constantly persecuted by natives for 

 the sake of their skins, which are held in greater estimation for 

 karosses than that of any other antelope, they are extremely shy, and 

 will not permit of approach nearer than 600 yards before running 

 off, which they do at a bounding gallop, often jumping high into 

 the air like the Springbuck, the nose at the same time being thrust 

 forwards and downwards. During some of the winter months large 

 herds, composed entirely of rams, associate together; and as this is 

 the period when the inundations usually occur, large areas of the 

 country being submerged, the Makobas and Masieuvias gather in 

 force and endeavour to drive the herds into the deep water, thus 

 forcing the animals to swim. They are then surrounded on all sides 

 by canoes, from which they are slaughtered in numbers with the 

 assegai. The flesh is somewhat better flavoured than that of other 

 varieties of water antelopes. 



The Pookoo [Kobus vardoni). Fig. 30, Plate VIII. — {Pookoo 

 of the Masieuvias.) 



[^Height about J feet j inches. Hair long and coarse^ curling 

 on the back of neck and down spine. General colour^ light red, 

 inclined to orange, darker above, the white portions being more 

 tinged with yellow than the Lechwe, Horns resemble those of Reed- 

 buck, not, however, curving forwards so tnuch as in that specimen, 

 the average length being 14 inches along the curve. Females 

 hornless. Spoor 2^/2 inches, similar to Reedbuck.} 



In the portions of Africa treated of in this volume, this extremely 

 rare antelope is only found in one or two places about the conflu- 

 ence of the Zambesi and Chobe Rivers. Its habits and resorts are 



