TIANG 
91 
female specimen, for I doubt if I should ever have shot 
one of that sex knowingly. 
In tiang there is no apparent difference in size between 
the sexes. On scrutinising a herd in the open, females 
can be distinguished by their shorter, thinner, slighter 
horns; 1 but all stand practically the same height at 
shoulder—say 45 to 46 inches. The bulls weigh well 
over 300 lb., live weight. 
While off-skinning this pair, the rest of the herd still 
stood unconcerned within 400 yards awaiting their lost 
companions; while close around us assembled a circle 
of marabou and vultures, the latter including both the 
handsome white-headed species and that repulsive 
“undertaker,” the Nubian vulture; and a pair of tawny 
eagles took post on a dead tree hard by. In their eager¬ 
ness for a scrap of offal, the kites swept past within 
arm’s length, often almost brushing our faces. 
(hi) Penultimate 
To complete the yarn I copy two brief ftrdcis from 
diary :—“ Dressed by candle-light and away before dawn. 
Saw many oribi, reedbuck, and herds of tiang. Settled 
to one of fifteen in thin bush and crept within range, 
but was prevented by intervening ‘detrimentals’ from 
shooting the leading bull, the best hitherto seen. Quite 
a fine beast stood sentry on an ant-hill on our left; but 
he wasn’t good enough and I refused him. Then by a 
stroke of sheer luck, the leader quietly strolled into the 
open, crossing our front at 170 yards. The bullet took 
him fair behind the shoulder; after a spasmodic rush of 
30 yards he collapsed, dead—a beauty, horns 22 inches 
each, by 8 in basal circumference. This closes my 
account with tiang.” 
1 Sportsmen of experience have expressed a contrary opinion, stating 
that they find a difficulty in distinguishing the sexes both of tiang and 
roan ; even Sir Samuel Baker, on first encountering a herd of tiang, shot 
a cow by mistake ( lsmailia , vol. i., p. 68). I can only say that this is the 
only cow tiang I ever shot \ and then I could not see the horns. 
