45 
Messrs. Nicolls and Eglington, in their ‘Sportsman in South Africa’ (one 
of our most recent authorities on the subject), speak of the Steinbuck as the 
“most common and widely distributed Antelope of South Africa from Cape 
Town to the Zambesi, frequenting the open flats either singly or in pairs.” 
As the hares of the Cape afford little or no sport for coursing, the Steinbok 
has been employed as their substitute. ‘These authors give us the following 
notes upon this subject :—‘‘ At Kimberley, in Griqualand West, a regular 
coursing club was organized shortly after the discovery of the diamond 
fields, and it has been carried on ever since with the greatest success, the 
colonists being just as much interested in the result of the annual Club Cup 
as sportsmen are in England over the Waterloo Cup, large sums of money 
changing hands at the meetings. It requires, however, a really fast 
powerful greyhound with a lot of bottom to run up on a Steinbuck. As 
nearly all proprietors strictly preserve the species in Griqualand West, they 
are there very numerous, perhaps even more so than in the native territories 
further north. This Antelope commences feeding about sundown, and 
continues its wanderings during the night, at sunrise retiring under cover 
of some low thick clump of bush or patch of long grass, where, unless 
disturbed, it passes the entire day in concealment. As it usually lies asleep 
during the great heat of the sun, it can then be easily walked up to and 
readily disposed of with a charge of buckshot. When severely wounded or 
hard pressed by dogs, it will often take refuge in the burrow of the Aard-vark 
(Oryctoropus). At all times the Steinbuck is rather a difficult shot with the 
rifle; but if the half-hour before dusk or sunrise be chosen, some pretty 
rifle-shooting may be obtained, and a quiet stalk at such times through a 
veldt which they frequent will often well repay the sportsman when larger 
antelopes are not at hand. ‘The wind has no influence with regard to the 
direction in which it goes, as it will run either up or down wind. It does 
not frequent very hilly or thick bush country, and is capable of existing for 
long periods without water. The Steinbuck is very easily tamed, but 
invariably becomes blind when kept in captivity for any length of time. The 
flesh is excellent.” 
Mr. Selous, in his valuable notes on South Central African Antelopes read 
before the Zoological Society of London in June 1881, gives us a list of the 
various native names of this little Antelope, and says that it is spread all 
over South Africa from the Cape to the Zambesi, except in the mountainous 
