THE DEFASSA WATERBUCK 



(Cobus defassa) 



TO one of the handsomest of the larger South African antelopes the old 

 Dutch colonists gave the name of wasserbok, the equivalent of the 

 English waterbuck, on account of its partiality for the neighbourhood of 

 water, although it has subsequently been discovered that several more or less 

 nearly allied species are equally aquatic in their habits. This typical waterbuck, 

 which is about the size of an average mule, and is known to naturalists by the 

 name of Cobtts ellipsipry minus, is characterised by the iron-grey colour of the long 

 coarse hair of the head and body, and the presence of a large elliptical white ring 

 (whence the specific name ellipsiftrymnus) on the buttocks. The tail is comparatively 

 long, and terminates in a blackish tuft, while the lower portions of the legs are 

 likewise blackish. The ears are large and rounded ; and the bucks carry a 

 handsome pair of sublyrate, light brown horns, ringed from the base nearly to 

 the tip. 



At first this was the only waterbuck known, but as the country was gradually 

 opened up a second species was discovered, whose range is now known to extend 

 from Angola and German East Africa to Abyssinia, Senegambia, and Nigeria. 

 This is the defassa or sing-sing waterbuck — for it has different native names in 

 different parts of its range — the Cobus defassa of naturalists, and the subject of the 

 accompanying coloured Plate. From the true or typical waterbuck it is distinguished 

 by the redder (or in the case of one race blacker) colour of the coat, and the 

 substitution of a comparatively small white patch for the large elliptical ring on the 

 rump. There are several local races of this species, such as the typical defassa of 

 Abyssinia and the sing-sing of West Africa, differing to a certain extent in colour ; 

 the most marked of these being the Angolan C. defassa penricei, which is blackish 

 grey. 



Waterbuck are very generally found in the neighbourhood of rivers and 

 lakes, where they feed amid the swamps of reeds and papyrus, but are by no means 

 restricted to such situations, and may indeed be met with in dry and rocky 

 localities. Sometimes, like hartebeests, they will climb the white-ant hills in order 

 to obtain a good view of their surroundings and see whether all is safe. 



They are gregarious antelopes, usually associating in parties of from three 

 to a score or more ; and it is noteworthy that when on the move the troop is 

 invariably led by an old cow, and never by a bull. When danger is declared, the 

 whole herd makes off in a resounding gallop for the nearest water in hope of 

 finding safety by swimming. The flesh of both species of waterbuck is coarse and 



