106 On the Mammalia of the 



or solitary about the Fish River Rand, where they graze in the 

 open glade, on the summit of that range, but their refuge is 

 in the bushy kloofs of the Kinga. Their spoor, horse-shoe 

 shaped, and with the cloven mark in its axis, may often be 

 seen leading from thence to the banks of the Fish River on 

 one side, or the Koonap on the other, in search of water ; 

 though the gratification of this appetite does not appear to be 

 daily necessary in any kinds of buck. They also frequent the 

 country between Double Drift and the Grass-Kop, and that 

 eastward of the Fish River, and some have been seen up as 

 far as Liewfontein, on the road to Fort Beaufort. They come 

 out to feed in the early mornings and late evenings in the 

 open spaces of the bush, and also browse on particular kinds of 

 delicate shrubs, while their spoor may be seen covering the 

 ground in such spots. During the heat of the day they lie 

 down in the recesses and cool shade of some bushy kloof, near 

 where they had been feeding. In wet and cloudy weather 

 they are less shy, and like most bucks seem then to dislike 

 the shelter of the bush, it is said from the dripping of the 

 water through the foliage. In such weather the sportsman 

 can easily follow the spoor and need not desist from his toil 

 during the day, as probably he may at length come upon the 

 animal or herd feeding. In dry weather, it is rather arduous 

 sport. Sometimes they may accidentally be discovered about 

 sunrise out feeding, and in such a case great caution must be 

 used in approaching them, from their acute sense of smell 

 and hearing. Its ear is large and lobed, and well adapted 

 for detecting the approach of danger, especially from wind- 

 ward. Various covers of small bush, hillocks, ant-heaps, &c, 

 may be employed to obstruct their seeing your approach ; 

 and some people have actually taken off their shoes and crept 

 on their hands and knees to get within gunshot. Should 

 the animal, however, get alarmed, his bound is fine, clearing 

 the bush to his own height, and dashing down thus by re- 

 peated leaps, deep into the hollows of some contiguous kloof, 

 whence being in a state of alarm it would be vain to follow 

 him. The boer proceeds to hunt him otherwise, by travers- 

 ing the country on horseback, till he finds a fresh spoor, 

 which is followed through every difficulty of ground and 



