Messrs. Nicolls and Eglington, in their ‘Sportsman in South Africa,’ the most recent authority on this subject, give us the following account of the present distribution of the Reedbuck and of its habits:—“It is now extremely rare to meet with this species in the Transvaal, except along some of the rivers in the north-eastern districts, and in Bechuanaland it is virtually extinct, although five years ago it was fairly common in the reeds of the Molopo, close to the site of the present town of Mafeking. In portions of the British Protectorate bordering the Crocodile River, and along its north-western tributaries, the Reedbuck may still occasionally be met with, but nowhere there in plenty. In the low country on the east coast about the Pungwe and Sabi Rivers it is extremely numerous. On those rivers of Mashonaland and Matabeleland which are margined with reeds, and where it has not been driven out by the natives and the prospectors, it may be in places plentifully found. But along the Chobe, Mababe, Tamulakani, and Botletle Rivers (where the banks are not precipitous) it is still quite common. In the dry reed-patches bordering Lake Ngami, the Taouhe, and Okavango, as far up as Indalis, from which the water recedes during several months of the year, the Reedbuck is particularly numerous; so much so as to lead to the erroneous impression that this antelope is gregarious, so many often being observed together at one time. It is usual to find the rams and ewes consorting in pairs, accompanied by a couple of their immature progeny, usually frequenting dry patches of reeds; but when these become flooded they often resort to the bush in the immediate vicinity of water. Although always found in proximity to the latter element, the Reedbuck when pursued will never take refuge in it; but in endeavouring to escape will direct its course right away from the river-beds towards the shelter of the thick bush, and, where such is not at hand, even into the open country. When suddenly alarmed, the males sometimes give vent to a whistle resembling that of the Red Rhébok (Cervicapra fulvorufula). This species is rather easily approached, and the gallop being slow and regular, it is perhaps the easiest of the South-African antelopes to shoot; but, at the same time, it must be remarked that this, like all the other water-resorting varieties, possesses an extraordinary amount of vitality. The flesh is scarcely palatable, but the liver is considered a tit-bit.”
There is still much left to be ascertained about the range of the Reedbuck towards the north. On the west coast it certainly extends into Angola, where specimens have been recorded by Prof. Bocage, while Dr. Jentink includes it amongst the Mammals of Mossamedes, and registers examples in the Leyden Museum from Damaraland and Benguela. Far up the east coast it seems to be abundant in Nyasaland. Mr. Crawshay, in his “Field-Notes” on the Antelopes of this Protectorate (P. Z. S. 1890), considers it quite as widely distributed there as the Waterbuck, though in fewer numbers. He found it, perhaps, in greatest abundance on the vast swampy plains at the foot of the Wa-Kinga mountains, north-west of the lake. In their habits, he says, they are decidedly local, and day after day the same animals can be found in the same spot: they are specially partial to bare sandy patches and open plains, well away from cover:—“When alarmed they give vent to shrill screams, and bound off, kicking up their hind legs and tossing up their tails like rabbits. Their tails are thick and bushy, and, being white on the underside, present a striking appearance when their owners are making off.” Although they have a strong scent, Mr. Crawshay considers their flesh “better than that of any other antelope except that of the Impala and Eland.”
Fig. 37.
Horns of Cervicapra arundinum from Nyasaland (Major Trollope).
Amongst other hunters’ trophies from Nyasaland which Major F. C. Trollope has kindly allowed us to examine is a fine pair of horns of this Antelope, of which we give a figure. They measure 17 inches from the base to the tip along the curve and the distance between the points is 19½ inches.
In German East Africa, Dr. Matschie records the Reedbuck as having been obtained by Böhm, and observed by Neumann in several localities, although the latter traveller did not bring home specimens. Dr. Matschie seems a little doubtful as to its exact identity with the Reedbuck of the Cape, and it is probably somewhere here that C. bohor from the north inosculates with C. arundinum.
Reedbucks, even in the same district, appear to vary much in size, in colour, and in other external characters, and some authorities have attempted to divide them into several species. Sundevall, in his ‘Expositio Pecorum,’ has described four varieties of the present animal, remarking that all the specimens he has examined varied a little amongst themselves. Besides the differences in the direction of the hairs on the head, to which he alludes, there is much variation in the amount and in the depth of the dark markings on the feet, which are quite black in some examples and brown in others. Our figure (Plate XLIII.), which has been put upon the stone by Mr. Smit from an original drawing by Wolf (kindly lent to us by Sir Douglas Brooke), shows this particular feature in its less decided form. It was probably taken from a mounted specimen in the British Museum, but we regret to say there is no absolute certainty upon this point.
Living specimens of the Reedbuck are occasionally brought to Europe, but are rarely seen in our menageries, and do not bear captivity easily. The Zoological Society of London received examples of this species in 1864, 1865, and 1879, but none of them lived long in the Gardens.
February, 1897.