Chap. XVII. THE BUSHBUCK. 343 



whistle of alarm. A better acquaintance with the habits of 

 animals might aid in their division into groups, as they appear 

 in nature, on the hills, plains, and marshes. The koodoo, pallah, 

 blackbuck or kualata, klipspringer or kololo, are generally seen 

 on the hills, and, when pursued, flee to them for safety. The 

 gemsbuck or kukama, kama, tsessebe, gnu, eland, puti or diver, 

 steinbuck, giraffe, mini or blesbuck, springbuck or tsepe, and 

 ourebi, are always on the plains ; while the waterbuck, reed- 

 buck, lechwe, poku, nakong, and bushbuck inhabit swampy 

 places, and flee to waters or swamps for protection. 



In the mornings and evenings the pretty-spotted bushbuck 

 (Tragelajolius sylvatica) ventures, though only a short distance, 

 out of the mangroves, to feed. When startled, its call of 

 danger is a loud bark, the imitation of which is its name 

 among most of the native tribes — " mpabala," " mpsware." 

 The waterbuck keeps the open plains, and seldom lies down 

 during the day. On clear windy days all the game are 

 extremely wild and wary, and can only be stalked with the 

 greatest difficulty ; while in still, sultry weather, they may 

 be approached with ease. 



A few leopards (Felis leopardus), called "tigre" by the 

 Portuguese, and troops of a green monkey called " pusi," find 

 food and shelter among the mangroves. The hunting leopard, 

 (Felis jubata) with small round black spots, we never saw. 



In this focus of decaying vegetation, nothing is so much to- 

 be dreaded as inactivity. We had, therefore, to find what 

 exercise and amusement we could, when hunting was not 

 required, in peering about in the fetid swamps ; to have 

 gone mooning about, in listless idleness, would have ensured 

 fever in its worst form, and probably with fatal results. 



A curious little blenny-fish swarms in the numerous creeks 

 which intersect the mangrove topes. When alarmed, it 

 hurries across the surface of the water in a series of leaps. It 



