In the Cape Colony Mr. W. L. Sclater, the Director of the South African Museum, Cape Town, kindly informs us that in the west of the Colony the Springbuck is met with in Namaqualand, Clanwilliam, Beaufort West, Prince Albert, and the adjoining districts. In the middle of the Colony it is found in Uitenhaag, Graaff Reinet, Colesberg, Albert, and Queenstown, but is rare in East Albany. On the north it occurs in Great Namaqualand and Damaraland, also in Kimberley, Barkly West, and Herbert. But it must be understood that it is mostly confined in all these districts to those farms of the Dutch and English settlers where it is preserved, and that permission to shoot it must on all occasions be obtained. The same is the case in the Orange Free State and Transvaal. In Bechuanaland, being wholly unprotected, the Springbuck has in recent years been much shot down, except on the open arid flats north and south of the Botletle and the neighbourhood of the great Makari-kari Salt-pan, where Messrs. Nicolls and Eglington say it still roams in large herds.
As regards the northern limit of the Springbuck, it certainly does not cross the Zambesi in any place so far as we have been able to ascertain.
Fig. 53.
Horns of Springbuck, ♂ and ♀.
Mr. F. C. Selous (P. Z. S. 1881, p. 757) says that its northern range is bounded on the east by the thick forests which run east and west south of the Mababe River. Westwards, as already stated, it occurs in the district of Lake Ngami and throughout Damaraland up to the Portuguese province of Mossamedes, whence specimens have been forwarded to the Lisbon Museum by their energetic collector M. d’Anchieta.
Writing quite recently to Sclater, Mr. J. ffolliott Darling gives the following notes:—
“The Springbuck does not range up so far north as Mashonaland; but I have shot them in Griqualand West, the Transvaal, and the Orange Free State, also in Bechuanaland, where the most northerly point I found them in 1890 was south of the Macloutsie River in the British Protectorate. I was for several years in various parts of Griqualand East, but never saw a Springbuck, though there are large flats suitable for them, on which Oribis abound.
“When protected they become very numerous, so much so as to scarcely leave any grass for the sheep in some places; one farmer told me that he reckoned that the Springbok cost him £200 a year.
“One curious thing, well known to hunters, but I do not recollect ever seeing it in print, is that the white patch of hair on the back smells like honey.