724 MR. G. H. GURNEY ON NATURAL HISTORY 
stupendous panorama in front of me, when I was brought 
back to matter-of-fact realities by Hassan gently pressing my 
rifle into my hand ; I looked up, and there just fifty yards 
below me was a splendid Impalla buck, walking slowly through 
the bush and followed by five or six hinds and a smaller buck ; 
the Impalla is a very pretty Antelope of a bright foxy-red 
colour with graceful twisted spiral horns ; seeing that this one 
had a good head I at once signed to my boys to remain where 
they were and began cautiously to crawl down the hill towards 
the right, in the direction in which I knew they would come, 
sure enough almost directly, the big buck stepped daintily 
out of cover and crossing a little opening stopped for an instant 
to listen ; as my shot rang out, all the Impalla crashed away 
downhill, and though I knew I had not missed him I feared 
I had not hit him in a vital spot, however I soon came up with 
him, standing quite disabled with head down and hind legs 
straddled apart and a second shot finished him off. While 
skinning him it was curious to watch the Vultures assembling ; 
five minutes before not a sign of a Vulture was to be seen but 
directly he was dead seven or eight tiny black specks appeared 
in the sky, these were joined by others, and the heavens were 
flecked with circling hordes, nearer and nearer they came until 
their dark shadows passed and repassed on the dead grass 
hard by; soon the smaller Neophron Vultures, ugly dark 
brown birds with livid pink faces, descended with collapsed 
wings, many alighting on the trees and bushes within thirty 
yards of us ; they were presently joined by two or three huge 
Griffon Vultures and the still blacker Eared Vulture ; while 
a couple of enormous Marabout Storks, dropping from the 
sky, stood patiently on the top of a tall tree, while others 
continued sailing overhead. Directly we had finished skinning 
the Impalla, ere we had retired fifty yards, down flew the 
whole crowd, and I have very little doubt that in an hour’s 
time there would have been little or no meat left on that 
carcase. 
After this we mounted our mules and rode on for a mile or 
two through lovely scenery, shooting on the way a Grant’s 
Gazelle with a very good head, until we came to a long narrow 
