108 HIPPO AND LEOPARD [ch. v 
party of cows would go alone, or three or four bulls 
might be found together. In spite of its name, we did 
not find it much given to going in the water, although 
it would cross the river fearlessly whenever it desired ; 
it was, however, always found not very far from water. 
It liked the woods, and did not go many miles from the 
streams, yet we frequently saw it on the open plains a 
mile or two from trees, feeding in the vicinity of the 
zebra and the hartebeest. This was, however, usually 
quite early in the morning or quite late in the afternoon. 
In the heat of the day it clearly preferred to be in the 
forest, along the stream’s edge, or in the bush-clad 
ravines. 
The impalia are found in exactly the same kind of 
country as the water-buck, and often associate with 
them. To my mind they are among the most beautiful 
of all antelope. They are about the size of a white¬ 
tailed deer, their beautiful annulated horns making a 
single spiral, and their coat is like satin with its con¬ 
trasting shades of red and white. They have the most 
graceful movements of any animal I know, and it is 
extraordinary to see a herd start off when frightened, 
both buck and does bounding clear over the top of the 
tall bushes, with a peculiar birdlike motion and light¬ 
ness. Usually a single old buck will be found with a 
large company of does and fawns; the other bucks go 
singly or in small parties. It was in the middle of 
May, and we saw fawns of all ages. When in the 
open, where, like the waterbuck, it often went in the 
morning and evening, the impalia was very shy, but I 
did not find it particularly so among the woods. In con¬ 
nection with shooting two of the impalia, there occurred 
little incidents which are worthy of mention. 
In one case 1 had just killed a waterbuck cow, 
