THE WATERBUCK 
131 
scientiously apply that principle in practice! What a world 
of chaos and confusion it would save. The head of this 
rufous waterbuck now hangs on my walls alongside a 
typical example of the dark East-African form, and the 
contrast between the two is conspicuous at a glance. 
Before leaving the Khor Filus, I should mention that 
the gazelles seen thereon belonged, we thought (though 
we did not shoot a specimen), to the southern race, or 
Mongalla gazelle ( Albonotata ), which certainly replaces 
the typical red-fronted gazelle ( Rufifrons ) on the Zeraf 
River, 32 miles to the westward. Probably the Sobat 
forms the dividing line 
between the two. An 
incident in bird-life was 
also unique in my ex¬ 
perience — seven great 
pelicans sitting perched 
on the topmost branches 
of a big bare tree! 
The waterbuck is too 
well known to need any 
detailed description ; yet 
certain habits struck my 
attention which may deserve passing remark. One in 
particular was the singular degree in which the master-bull 
of a herd relies for his own safety upon the vigilance of his 
consorts. Frequently one sees a single old cow or group 
of cows already alarmed and retiring by stages. These, 
by stopping, wheeling about and stamping, seek to convey 
a danger-signal to their listless lord. This is a matter of 
daily observation and the warning, as a rule, is accepted 
in time. But the callousness to impending danger 
occasionally displayed by some old Sultans is remarkable. 
Having no hostile intent towards the waterbuck of 
Sudan (where I only shot the three old bulls above men¬ 
tioned), I enjoyed perhaps better opportunity of entering 
into their domestic life than would be the case had 
Waterbuck Bull.—W arned by Wives. 
