GAZELLA LEPTOCEEOS. 
345 
travelled till 12 that night, and at 4 next morning resumed our march. Soon after the 
sun had risen, one of the shikaris, pointing to the ground, showed what he made out 
to be the spoor, evidently but lately made, of a male Loder’s Gazelle. This, being 
larger than that of the Dorcas Gazelle, is very easily recognizable; the bluntness of 
the hoof in the case of Loder s Gazelle shows a marked difference. About 12 o’clock 
one of the camel-men called out that a Gazelle could be seen ahead, but the many 
heaps of white stones, scattered all over the desert, are so deceiving at a little distance 
that both shikaris shook their heads. 
“ The habit that all Gazelles have, when first viewing an approaching danger, of 
standing motionless for some time, is carried to such an excess in this particular 
species that it is often possible to get within easy rifle-range by quietly walking up, 
without taking any particular care to hide the approach. On the other hand, the 
animal is often missed entirely, and passed by at some little distance as a heap 
of bones or white stones. 
“ The camel-man, however, in this case proved to be correct, as we soon noticed the 
Gazelle walking leisurely away. It disappeared behind a mound of sand, where it 
must have remained, for, on reaching the place about half an hour later, we were 
surprised to come suddenly on the Gazelle, now only some 200 yards off. It was a fine 
female, very white in colour. Not wishing to disturb any others that might be near, 
I did not fire. We found, however, that it was alone. At 12 o’clock or thereabouts 
we came upon the skirt of the plateau, from which the Fayoum can be seen, and here 
the shikaris decided to turn back, as they said we had passed the ‘ White Gazelle 
ground ’; so, after returning about two miles, we set up the tents and waited for the 
evening, the sun being so hot that it was impossible to continue our search. Two 
Arabian greyhounds I had with me felt the heat especially. No sooner were the 
camels on the ground than, going to the shady side, they began to dig in the sand 
under the beasts in order to bury themselves away from the heat. 
“ During the afternoon the two shikaris constructed traps, which we set in 
the evening. 
“ The Gazelle trap, except the small hemp-platted rope, is made entirely from the 
date-palm. Taking the long leaves, the shikari first constructs by platting them 
together a deep ring, about 3 inches in diameter and about 4 inches deep: it should, 
in fact, fit well into a golf-hole and make its walls secure. He now takes an old stalk 
from which the dates have been picked, and separating about twenty of the fibres 
which compose it, and run its whole length, he twists them into a rude bracelet about 
three inches in diameter. Then taking three more fibres, in place of twine, he binds 
the ring securely; the ring or bracelet has then a form much resembling a diminutive 
‘ Ringold ’ ring. The shikari now breaks off the points of the date-thorns until he 
has about twenty-five of them 2 inches in length; these he pushes through the 
