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been left by the winter torrents, where small families, comprising one old 
male and five or six females with their fawns, may frequently be seen grazing 
quietly on the bare hill-sides or gambolling amongst the dwarf trees and 
underwood. ‘To guard against surprise a vidette is invariably on the alert; 
and should a human figure or other suspicious object be descried nearer 
than is judged to be safe, the wary sentinel forthwith extends her slender 
neck, and gives warning to her companions by a sharp sneeze. Away they 
all bound, lightly as the wind, tossing their graceful heads, whilst their dainty 
feet scarcely seem to touch the earth ; and never slackening their pace until 
they have gained the summit of some distant eminence, they halt as if by 
word of command, and suddenly facing half round, reconnoitre the enemy. 
Exceedingly shy and possessed of a keen scent and a hawk-vision, it is 
difficult enough to approach within rifle-range; but the little herd, when 
thus in motion, usually winding round the base of a hill instead of taking 
directly up the acclivity, an opportunity is often presented to the pursuer to 
gallop across the path they have selected, and thus obtain an easy snap-shot.” 
Mr. H. A. Bryden, in his ‘ Kloof and Karroo,’ devotes a whole chapter to 
the pleasures of “‘ Vaal Rhébok-shooting,” which, for some reason or other, he 
says, has been unaccountably neglected by hunters and naturalists, in “ their 
rush to follow the larger and nobler game of this game-abounding country.” 
The most peculiar feature of this Antelope, he tells us, “lies in its coat, 
which differs essentially from that of every other South-African species, 
consisting of a thick woolly fur, approaching very closely to the texture of 
that of the rabbit, but softer, finer, and longer.” ‘The venison, he adds, 
“although inferior to that of the Spring-bok and some of the larger Antelopes, 
is by no means inestimable, but has the fault, common to much South-African 
game, of being somewhat dry.” 
Our most recent authorities on the game-animals of South Africa, Messrs. 
Nicolls and Eglington, speak of this species as fairly well distributed, even in 
these days, throughout the Cape Colony, the Orange Free State, the Transvaal, 
the Bechuanaland Protectorate, and portions of Natal, Zululand, and Matabele- 
land, but nowhere, at the present time, to be met with in large numbers. 
“ Like the Red Rhcébuck and the Klipspringer, it is only met with in very 
broken country, frequenting the highest points on the mountains and kopjies, 
neyer descending to the valleys or plains except at night when in search of 
water. It is generally found in flocks of six or seven up to a dozen, and is 
