134 
SAVAGE SUDAN 
and hardly feed so late; still, all three live within a few 
hundred yards of each other, and while some are pestered 
to distraction, the others seem almost immune. 
I will close this chapter with another instance of 
the value of immobility. Near Meshra-el-Zeraf, Baraka 
and I were skirting a long straight stretch of mimosa 
bush, when a rustling inside the covert brought us to 
an instant standstill. Then appeared the horns of a 
waterbuck pushing its way through the outmost thorns. 
It emerged only 40 yards ahead of where we two stood 
in the open, yet it never saw us and unconcernedly 
commenced grazing. Once, between mouthfuls, it turned 
its head—still chewing—and gazed full-face towards us. 
Even then no realisation ensued. Our impersonation 
of two dead stumps may have been very artistic; but 
that I do not regard as the real reason. 
As trophies, the Sudan waterbuck do not excel. 
Fine heads no doubt exist, but such are relatively rare. 
Friends of mine have shot examples that exceed 30 inches 
—the best, 33 inches—-but not one of the many that 
came under my personal observation could be estimated 
at as much as 30 inches. Cows seem to outnumber bulls 
by four or five to one. 
Waterbuck calves at first are very dark in colour— 
almost black—and during the early months of their lives 
are left alone, hidden in the deep grass, their mothers 
apparently only visiting them at night. This darker 
colour is retained for some time; the older the animal 
the lighter he becomes. 
Saddle-billed Jabiru on Wing. 
