_THE ANTELOPES._
BY F. C. SELOUS.
The TRUE ANTELOPES (including the Gazelles) are strictly confined to the
Old World, the Prongbuck of North America differing so much from all other
living ruminants, in its horn growth and other particulars, that it is
considered to be the sole representative of a distinct family.
THE HARTEBEESTS.
With the exception of one species--the Bubal--which is found both in North
Africa and Arabia, the HARTEBEESTS are entirely confined to the African
Continent. They are animals of large size, standing from 43 to 48 inches at
the shoulder, and are characterised by their long, narrow faces, high
withers, and doubly curved horns, which are present in both sexes. Nine
different species of this group are known to exist.
Although the ranges of these various species of hartebeest cover the
greater part of the African Continent, it is noteworthy that each species
keeps to its own ground, their several ranges but rarely overlapping.
All the hartebeests have a strong family resemblance, and are very similar
in their habits. They are never found either in dense forests or in swampy
or mountainous country, but are inhabitants of the arid deserts of Northern
and South-western Africa, and of the open grassy plains and thinly forested
regions of the high plateaux of the interior of that continent. They are
extraordinarily fleet and enduring, and in my own experience I have never
heard of one of these animals, of whatever species, having been overtaken
or ridden to a standstill by a man on horseback. They are very inquisitive,
and where they have not been molested will allow any unaccustomed
object--such as a European in clothes--to walk to within easy shot of them
before running off. They soon gain experience, however; and in countries
where they have been most persecuted hartebeests are the keenest-sighted
and the most wary of all African game. They are very fond of climbing to
the top of the large ant-heaps with which the plains of Africa are
profusely studded, and from this point of vantage surveying the surrounding
country. They live, I believe, entirely upon grass, and in the desert areas
of their range seem able to subsist for long periods without drinking
water. Their meat I have always thought very palatable. They are generally
in fairly good condition, though they seldom carry much fat. Their fat,
after being melted, becomes solid again immediately on cooling, and clogs
on the teeth whilst being eaten. But very few African species, except the
eland, ever become really fat; their life is too active, and the
food-supply too uncertain, for them to put on flesh like European deer.
[Illustration: _Photo by Miss E. J. Beck._
BUBALINE HARTEBEEST.
A small species, found in Syria as well as in North Africa.]
BONTEBOK AND BLESBOK GROUP.
Nearly allied to the hartebeests are certain other antelopes, of which it
will be sufficient to mention but two species--_viz._ the BONTEBOK and the
BLESBOK. These two antelopes, though doubtless distinct, since their points
of difference are constant and unvarying, are nevertheless so much alike,
and evidently so closely allied, that I look upon the former as a highly
coloured and specialised race of the latter. The blesbok once had a far
wider range than the bontebok, and ran in countless herds on the plains of
the northern districts of the Cape Colony, the Orange River Colony, the
Transvaal, Griqualand West, and British Bechuanaland, whilst the latter
animal has always been confined to the sandy wastes in the neighbourhood of
Cape Agulhas, the extreme southern point of Africa.
[Illustration: _Photo by Percy Ashenden_] [_Cape Town._
BLESBOK.
A species formerly very numerous in South Africa, but now well-nigh
exterminated.]
[Illustration: _Photo by J. W. McLellan_] [_Highbury._
WHITE-TAILED GNU AND CALF.
This "Wildebeest" is now believed to be practically exterminated as a wild
animal.]
I think it, however, not improbable that ages ago the blesbok ranged right
through Cape Colony to the sea-shore, and that subsequently the gradual
desiccation of the south-western portions of the country--which is still
continuing--or several years of continuous drought, caused the withdrawal
of the species northwards from the waterless parts of the country. Those,
however, which had reached the neighbourhood of Cape Agulhas, where there
is plenty of water, would have remained behind and formed an isolated race,
which, being influenced by local conditions, would naturally in course of
time have become differentiated from the parent stock. Be this as it may,
the bontebok of to-day is nothing but a glorified blesbok, being slightly
larger and more richly coloured than the latter animal. Its horns, too, are
always black, whilst those of the blesbok are of a greenish hue. When they
are in good condition, the coats of both these species of antelope, as well
as of the Sassaby, another member of this group, show a beautiful satiny
sheen, which plays over their purple-brown hides like shadows on sunlit
water.
The few bonteboks which still survive are now all preserved on large
enclosed farms; but their numbers are very small--less than 300, it is
believed. The farmers of Dutch descent now do their best to preserve rare
species on their land.
[Illustration: _Photo by the Duchess of Bedford_] [_Woburn Abbey._
A COW BRINDLED GNU.
This gnu, which is still found in great numbers in East Central Africa,
indulges in the same curious antics as the white-tailed species.]
THE GNUS.
These remarkable animals were once distributed throughout the greater part
of Africa from the Cape to Abyssinia, and their range is even now very
extensive, though what was once the most numerous and the most
eccentric-looking species of the group has almost ceased to exist.
The gnus are of large size, and at first sight appear to have the head of a
buffalo, the tail of a horse, and the limbs and hoofs of an antelope. Their
heads are very massive, with broad muzzles and widely separated, hairy
nostrils; their necks are maned, tails long and bushy, and both sexes carry
horns. They are known as "wilde beeste," or "wild cattle," to the Dutch
colonists of South Africa.
[Illustration: _Photo by Miss E. J. Beck._
RED-FLANKED DUIKER.
The duikers are for the most part diminutive and graceful antelopes, with
simple, spike-like horns.]
The WHITE-TAILED GNU, or BLACK WILDEBEEST, as it is more commonly called,
was once found in great numbers on the karroos of Northern Cape Colony, and
throughout the vast plains of the Orange River Colony, Transvaal,
Griqualand West, and British Bechuanaland. Its range, in fact, was coequal
with that of the blesbok. Even as lately as in 1875 and 1876 I personally
saw very considerable herds of these quaint animals in the Orange River
Colony and the Western Transvaal. When the present war broke out in 1899,
there were only two herds of black wildebeest left alive. These animals
numbered some 500 head altogether, and were protected by Dutch farmers.
There are probably very few of them left to-day, and it is scarcely
possible that this most interesting animal will long escape complete
extinction.
Black wildebeests, before they had been much persecuted, were so
inquisitive that, in the words of Gordon Cumming, they would "caper and
gambol" round a hunter's waggon or any other unusual object, and sometimes
approach to within a couple of hundred yards, when, whisking their long
white tails, they would gallop off with loud snorts. They were always,
however, very keen-sighted, and soon became extremely wary and almost
impossible to approach on foot in the open plains they frequented, whilst
their powers of endurance and fleetness of foot were such that they could
only be overtaken by a well-mounted hunter. In spite of these advantages,
however, the value of their skins, and the ever-increasing number of
hunters, armed with long-range rifles, practically brought about the
extermination of this species of gnu in a few decades.
The BRINDLED GNU is a larger animal than the last-named species, standing
4½ feet and upwards at the shoulder. This animal once ranged from the Vaal
River northwards, throughout Eastern and Central Africa, to the north of
Kilimanjaro, where its range overlaps that of a closely allied form, the
WHITE-BEARDED GNU, which is only found in certain districts of Eastern
Africa. In general habits these two varieties seem to be identical.
In the interior of Southern Africa, both north and south of the Zambesi, I
have met with very large numbers of BLUE WILDEBEESTS. They usually run in
herds of from ten to twenty individuals, but towards the end of the dry
season collect in droves of 200 or 300. They are often found in company
with zebras and sassaby antelopes. Their flesh resembles coarse beef, and,
to my thinking, is not ill-flavoured.
[Illustration: _Photo by Miss E. J. Beck._
KLIPSPRINGER.
The "cliff-jumper" is as active in its habits as a chamois, and is found in
most of the mountain-ranges of Africa.]
THE SMALLER BUCKS.
In addition to the great number of antelopes of large size which inhabit
the African Continent, there are also very many small species, the life
history and habits of some of which are as yet but imperfectly known, since
they are denizens of dense forests, and feed principally at night.
All these small African antelopes are divided into two sub-families. The
first comprises the African DUIKERS and the Indian FOUR-HORNED ANTELOPE,
and the second the DIK-DIKS, ORIBIS, KLIPSPRINGER, and certain other small
bush-antelopes.
The African duikers are distributed throughout Africa south of the Sahara,
and are represented by some twenty different species, the largest of which
approaches a small donkey in size, whilst the smallest is not much larger
than a hare.
The majority of these dainty little antelopes are inhabitants of the dense
tangled forests of the coast-belts of Africa, and are therefore but seldom
seen by travellers and sportsmen. One species of the group, however, the
COMMON DUIKER of South Africa, is a very well-known animal. This little
antelope inhabits much more open country than most of its congeners, and
has an enormous range, extending from Cape Agulhas to Somaliland, whilst
two very nearly allied forms are found in Senegal and Abyssinia
respectively.
[Illustration: _Photo by G. W. Wilson & Co., Ltd._] [_Aberdeen._
SING-SING WATERBUCK.
The sing-sing and its relatives differ from the true waterbuck by the
absence of the white elliptical ring on the rump]
[Illustration: _Photo by W. P. Dando_] [_Regent's Park._
MOUNTAIN REEDBUCK.
One of a group of small antelopes still common in many parts of Africa.]
In most species of duikers both sexes are horned, but in the case of the
common duiker it is very exceptional to find a female with horns, and in
all my experience I have only known of three such cases.
The FOUR-HORNED ANTELOPE is the Indian representative of the African
duikers, and is found along the foot of the Himalaya from the Punjab to
Nepal, and in suitable localities throughout the peninsula of India. It
frequents wooded hills, but avoids dense jungle. Like its nearest allies,
the duikers, it is solitary in its habits, more than two of these antelopes
seldom being seen together. The growth of four horns on the skull of this
antelope and on certain breeds of domesticated sheep is a curious fact
which has not roused as much comment as it deserves.
[Illustration: _Photo by S. G. Payne, Aylesbury, by permission of the Hon.
Walter Rothschild._
MALE IMPALA, OR PALLA.
The beautifully curved horns of the male palla form some of the most
graceful of trophies.]
THE KLIPSPRINGER.
Turning to the second sub-family, we may select the KLIPSPRINGER as the
most characteristic species to describe. This beautiful little animal,
which is often called the African Chamois, is found in suitable localities
from the Cape to Abyssinia. In the southern and northern portions of its
range the klipspringer is an inhabitant only of rugged mountain-ranges, and
ascends to a height of 9,000 or 10,000 feet above sea-level. In the more
central regions of its habitat, however, although it always lives amongst
rocks, and thoroughly justifies its name of "rock-jumper," it is often
found in regions where there are no high mountain-ranges. It used to be
very common in Matabililand, both in the Matopo Hills and on the isolated
granite kopjes which are so numerous in that country, and usually are not
more than 200 or 300 feet in height. In Mashonaland I have found it living
amongst granite rocks in the beds of the larger rivers, and actually on the
same level as the surrounding country; whereas on Wedza, a great
mountain-mass of slate and ironstone, which rises to a height of about
2,000 feet above the surrounding country, and to the top of which I once
climbed, I did not see any klipspringers. The hoofs of this little animal
are curiously different from those of any other African antelope, being
remarkably short and small, with very deep hollows. This adaptation to its
requirements enables the klipspringer to obtain a foothold on any small
projecting piece of rock, and to climb in a series of little jumps up the
faces of cliffs which seem almost perpendicular.
In height the klipspringer stands about 1 foot 9 inches at the shoulder.
The males alone carry horns, which are straight and ringed at the base, and
vary from 3 to 5 inches in length. The coat is of a greeny yellow-brown
colour, with the hairs hollow and brittle. These little animals are usually
met with singly, or in twos and threes together. When caught young, they
become wonderfully tame, and make the most charming pets, being very
playful and fond of jumping, with surprising ease and grace, from the floor
of a room on to any elevated position, such as a table, mantelpiece, or
window-sill.
[Illustration: _Photo by S. G. Payne, Aylesbury, by permission of the Hon.
Walter Rothschild._
MALE SAIGA ANTELOPES.
These antelopes inhabit the East Russian steppes. The thick woolly coat
turns nearly white in winter.]
THE WATERBUCKS.
The largest animals in the first of three groups now to be considered are
the WATERBUCKS, antelopes of stout and sturdy build, standing from 45 to 50
inches at the shoulder, and covered with long, coarse hair, especially on
the neck, in both sexes. The males alone carry horns, which vary from 20 to
36 inches in length, and are strongly ringed in front for three-fourths of
their length. They are sublyrate in shape, being first inclined backwards
and then forwards at the tips. There are three well-marked species of
waterbuck--_viz._ the COMMON WATERBUCK of South Africa, whose range extends
from the Limpopo northwards, through Nyasaland to German and British East
Africa, and to the Shebeyli River, in Somaliland; the SING-SING of Senegal
and Gambia; and the DEFASSA WATERBUCK of Western Abyssinia and the Nile
Valley, south to Uganda and British and German East Africa. In habits all
species of waterbuck are very similar. They live generally, though not
invariably, in herds of from ten to twenty individuals, and in such small
herds there is seldom more than one full-grown male present. In the
interior of South Africa the waterbuck is often met with amongst steep
stony hills and at a distance of more than a mile from the nearest river.
Speaking generally, however, this antelope may be said to frequent the near
neighbourhood of water, but to prefer dry to swampy ground. When chased by
dogs it always makes for water, and will plunge fearlessly into broad, deep
rivers, regardless of crocodiles, to which ravenous reptiles it sometimes
falls a victim. In South Africa waterbuck vary much in colour even in the
same district, some being reddish brown, whilst others are of a very dark
grey. The flesh of the waterbuck is coarse, and sometimes rather strongly
tasted, and when in good condition the fat is very hard.
The REEDBUCKS are similar in essential characters to the waterbucks, but
are of smaller size, and have more bushy tails, and naked spots on the
sides of the head beneath the ears.
Of this group the COMMON REEDBUCK of South Africa is the best known. This
animal stands 3 feet at the withers, and is of a soft greyish fawn-colour,
with a large fluffy tail, which is always thrown up when the animal runs,
exposing the white under-surface. The males alone carry horns, which curve
backwards and then forwards, and attain a length of from 12 to 16 inches.
Reedbucks are met with singly or in twos and threes, and never congregate
in herds, though I have seen us many as eight, belonging probably to three
or four families, feeding in close proximity to one another on young green
grass.
Another member of the reedbuck group is the ROOI RHEBUCK of South Africa.
This latter species, though a much smaller animal, is very similar to the
common reedbuck in colour, shape, and general appearance; it is quite
distinct in its habits and mode of life, as it lives in small herds of from
four or five to fifteen head, amongst rugged stony hills, often far from
water.
THE BLACKBUCK OF INDIA.
This handsome species is found throughout India wherever there are open
cultivated plains. The male stands about 32 inches at the shoulder, and
when full grown is of a glossy black colour, with the exception of a
chestnut-coloured patch at the back of the neck, and some markings of the
same colour about the face. The belly and insides of the limbs are pure
white, the line between the black and white being very clearly defined. The
whole body and frame are very compact, strong, and beautifully
proportioned, and the head is carried high. The males alone carry horns,
which are spiral in shape, annulated almost to the tips, and vary in length
from 18 to 28 inches. Young bucks and does are fawn-coloured instead of
black. These antelopes are usually met with in considerable herds on open
plains in which cultivated tracts alternate with waste land, and they often
do much damage to the natives' crops. When alarmed, they first execute a
series of prodigious bounds into the air before finally settling down to a
steady run. They are surprisingly fleet, and can seldom be overtaken by the
fastest greyhounds, although they can be caught and pulled down without
difficulty by trained cheetas, or, as they are often called,
hunting-leopards.
The PALLA, which is found in Southern and Eastern Africa from Bechuanaland
to Kordofan, is one of the most graceful of animals. It is a forest-loving
species, and is never found far from water. Both sexes are of a general
bright reddish brown, with white bellies. The males alone carry horns,
which are very graceful in shape, and vary from 14 to upwards of 20 inches
in length. The finest specimens of the palla are met with in the extreme
southerly and most northerly portions of its range, the animals inhabiting
the intermediate districts being smaller and carrying shorter horns. Pallas
are gregarious, living in herds of from twenty to over one hundred. When
alarmed, they bound over bushes or any other obstacles with the utmost ease
and grace, and appear to get over the ground at a high rate of speed. They
are, however, very commonly run down and torn to pieces by wild dogs, which
hunt in packs, and are very destructive to African game.
[Illustration: _Photo by Miss E. J. Beck._
ARABIAN GAZELLE
Gazelles are some of the most slenderly built of all antelopes.]
Of far less graceful appearance than the two preceding species is the
SAIGA, which, though structurally closely allied to the gazelles, has been
placed by naturalists in a genus by itself.
This curious-looking animal, which is chiefly remarkable for its large
swollen-looking nose and light-coloured horns, is an inhabitant of the
steppes of South-eastern Europe and Western Asia. In height it stands about
30 inches at the withers, and is of a dull yellowish colour in summer,
turning to nearly white in winter. The males alone carry horns, which are
sometimes 13 or 14 inches long, and of a peculiar colour which has been
likened to pale amber.
At the present day the saiga is only found in Europe on the plains between
the Don and the Volga, but to the east of the Ural River its range extends
over the Kirghiz Steppes and the high plains of all Western Siberia. Living
in open country, and having the senses of hearing, sight, and scent all
highly developed, the saiga is a difficult animal to approach, and can only
be successfully stalked by an expert hunter. In summer it is usually met
with in small, scattered bands, which, when driven southwards by snow and
cold, are collected into considerable herds in the more southerly portions
of its range. In very severe winters whole herds have been known to perish
in snow-drifts, and in such inclement seasons large numbers are also killed
by the natives. The flesh of the saiga is said to resemble mutton, and is
held in much esteem.
[Illustration: _By permission of Herr Carl Hugenbeck_] [_Hamburg._
GOITRED GAZELLES FROM MESOPOTAMIA.
These animals are inhabitants of rocky and desert ground. They are often
kept tame by the wandering Arabs.]
THE GAZELLES.
We now come to the Gazelles, among which are comprised many of the best
known and most beautiful of the small or medium-sized antelopes. In the
true gazelles both sexes generally carry horns. Indeed, this rule is
universal in those of Africa and Arabia; and there are only four species
known--all Asiatic--in which the females are hornless: _viz._ the TIBETAN
GAZELLE, PREJEVALSKI'S GAZELLE, the MONGOLIAN GAZELLE, and the PERSIAN
GAZELLE.
The range of the various species belonging to this large group is very
extensive, comprising the whole of Northern and Eastern Africa, Arabia, and
Western and Central Asia, as well as Mongolia and India. The gazelles are
inhabitants of the open plains and arid desert regions of the Old World,
and, although sometimes met with in tracts of country where there is a
certain amount of scattered bush or open stunted forest, are never found in
any kind of jungle or thick cover.
On the sandy plains of North-western Africa are found the RED-FRONTED
GAZELLE of Senegal and Gambia; the little-known MHORR GAZELLE of
South-western Morocco; and the DAMA GAZELLE, a species which has been known
to naturalists ever since the time of Buffon. A near ally of the last-named
animal is the RED-NECKED GAZELLE of Dongola and Senaar. In North-eastern
Africa are found the large and handsome SOEMMERRING'S GAZELLE; the ISABELLA
GAZELLE, of the coastlands of the Red Sea; HEUGLIN'S GAZELLE; PELZELN'S
GAZELLE, of the maritime plains of Northern Somaliland; and SPEKE'S
GAZELLE, of the interior of the same country; whilst, farther south the
group is represented by the large and beautiful GRANT'S GAZELLE, with its
allies PETERS'S GAZELLE and THOMSON'S GAZELLE. The well-known DORCAS
GAZELLE is an inhabitant of Morocco and Algeria, ranging through Egypt into
Palestine and Syria; the MARICA GAZELLE, the MUSCAT GAZELLE, and the
ARABIAN GAZELLE inhabit the deserts of Arabia; the EDMI GAZELLE is found in
the mountain-ranges of Morocco, Algeria, and Tunis; while LODER'S GAZELLE
inhabits the sandy tracts of the interior of Algeria and Tunis. In Asia,
besides the four species of gazelle already enumerated in which the females
are hornless, one other member of the group is met with. This is the INDIAN
GAZELLE, a species very closely allied to the Arabian form.
Of the whole genus GRANT'S GAZELLE is the most beautiful. This handsome
animal, which was first discovered by the explorers Speke and Grant in
1860, is an inhabitant of Eastern Africa, from the neighbourhood of Lake
Rudolph southwards to Ugogo. In size the average height at the shoulder of
males of this species is about 34 inches. The coat is close and short and
of a general fawn colour, the rump and belly pure white, and the face
marked with a rufous band from the horns to the nose and with streaks of
white on each side. The upper surface of the tail is white, with a black
and tufted tip. The horns, which are very elegant in shape, being first
curved slightly forwards and then backwards, are much longer and more
powerful than in any other gazelle, and attain a length of 30 inches in the
males and 17 inches in the females.
[Illustration: _Photo by L. Midland, F.Z.S._] [_North Finchley._
SPEKE'S GAZELLE.
Found in the interior of Northern Somaliland.]
[Illustration: _Photo by W. P. Dando_] [_Regent's Park._
GAZELLES FROM EGYPT.
Seen in great numbers when our troops crossed the Bayuda Desert.]
Grant's gazelles, though they undoubtedly find their most congenial home in
open country, have also been met with by recent travellers in
bush-sprinkled wastes and stony, rugged hills. They are, however, never
found in dense jungles or high mountains. They live in herds of from half a
dozen to twenty or thirty individuals, though in certain localities as many
as 200 have been seen together. They are fond of consorting with other
game, such as Burchell's and Grevy's zebras, Coke's hartebeest, and the
beisa oryx, and are often met with at long distances from the nearest
water. They are keen-sighted and wary, and from the open character of the
country in which they are usually encountered are often difficult to stalk.
When in good condition, the meat of this gazelle is said to be excellent.
The nearest ally of the true gazelles is undoubtedly the SPRINGBUCK of
South Africa. Owing to the protection which it has received of late years,
this graceful antelope is now a common animal in many parts of South
Africa, and in the north-western portions of the Cape Colony still
sometimes collects into prodigious herds, which travel through the country
in dense masses, destroying every vestige of grass on the line of their
advance, and causing considerable anxiety to farmers, whose flocks of sheep
and goats are sometimes swept away by the migrating springbucks. In former
years the migration of these antelopes in countless thousands from the
deserts of Namaqualand to the countries farther south was a common
occurrence, an unerring instinct guiding the wandering herds to districts
where rain had lately fallen and caused a new growth of green grass. The
animals composing these migrating herds were called by the Dutch settlers
of the Cape Colony "Trekbokken," or "travelling-bucks."
[Illustration: _Photo by W. P. Dando_] [_Regent's Park._
RED-FRONTED GAZELLE.
Inhabits Dongola and Senaar.]
Two other antelopes, the DIBATAG and the GERENUK, are included in the
present group; but both, whilst typically gazelline in certain respects,
differ so much in other ways from all members of that group that each has
been placed in a separate genus.
The DIBATAG is a very remarkable-looking antelope, only found in certain
districts of Central Somaliland, where it was first discovered by Mr. T. W.
H. Clarke in 1890. This species shows the face-markings of the gazelles,
whilst the horns, which are only present in the males, much resemble in
shape those of a reedbuck. They are rather short, attaining a length of
only 11 or 12 inches, and their basal halves are strongly ringed in front.
The neck of this antelope is singularly long and thin, and the tail, which
is held curved forwards over the back when the animal is in motion, is also
much elongated, and only tufted at the tip. The dibatag frequents sandy
ground sparsely covered with low thorn-bushes, and lives in small families,
being usually met with in twos or threes, whilst it is rare to find more
than four or five consorting together.
[Illustration: _Photo by W. P. Dando_] [_Regent's Park._
RED-FRONTED GAZELLE.
Another view of the specimen shown above.]
The GERENUK, like the last-named animal, is an East African species, but
has a more extended range, being found all over Somaliland, and thence
southwards to the Tana Valley and the Kilimanjaro district of British East
Africa. The most remarkable external characteristic of this species is the
excessively long neck. The males alone carry horns, which attain an average
length of 12 or 13 inches, and, though somewhat gazelle-like in shape, are
more strongly crooked forwards at the points. The skull of this species is
more dense and solid in structure than in the true gazelles, and the
cheek-teeth are smaller in size.
Coming now to the Sable Antelope group, we find an assemblage of antelopes
which are all of large size and handsome appearance, and in all of which
both the males and females are horned. With the single exception of the
BEATRIX ORYX, which inhabits Arabia, all these antelopes are denizens of
Africa. One species of the group, the BLUEBUCK, which appears to have been
entirely confined to the mountainous districts of the Cape Peninsula,
became extinct during the first decade of the last century. Little is known
as to the life history of this animal, but it was undoubtedly nearly allied
to the larger and more handsomely marked ROAN ANTELOPE. This latter animal
once had a more extensive range than any other antelope, as it was found in
almost every part of Africa south of the Sahara, with the exception of the
Congo forest region. It has now been exterminated in the more southerly
portions of the country, but from the Limpopo to the Upper Nile, and thence
to the Niger, it is still to be found wherever the surroundings are
suitable to its requirements.
[Illustration: _Photo by Percy Ashenden_] [_Cape Town._
MALE SPRINGBUCK.
Once the most numerous species in South Africa, where it is still not
uncommon. Its migrations, or "treks," at certain seasons were one of the
sights of the veldt.]
A large bull roan antelope will stand 4 feet 9 inches at the withers. The
general colour of the body differs in individuals, even in the same
district, varying from a very light shade of brown to dark grey or
red-roan. The front and sides of the face are jet-black in the adult male,
and dark reddish brown in the female, with two long white tufts of hair
under the eyes. The muzzle and extremity of the lower jaw are white. The
hair on the under side of the neck is long and coarse, and a stiff mane
about 3 inches in length runs from behind the ears to the withers. The ears
are very long, and in the females and young males tufted. The horns are
curved backwards, and in the male are very stout and strong, attaining a
length of from 26 to 34 inches. In the female the horns are shorter and
slighter, and not so strongly ringed.
Roan antelope are usually met with in small herds of from six to a dozen
members, and never congregate in large numbers. I do not think I have ever
counted as many as thirty together. I have found them fairly common in
certain districts, but nowhere very plentiful. They frequent open plains
and thinly forested country, and are never found far away from water. Bucks
often become savage when wounded, and will sometimes charge viciously if
approached incautiously. They can use their horns with great dexterity, and
play havoc with a pack of dogs.
[Illustration: _Photo by S. G. Payne, Aylesbury, by permission of the Hon.
Walter Rothschild._
SABLE ANTELOPE.
A near ally of the Roan Antelope, from which it is broadly distinguished by
its striking coloration--black and white.]
The SABLE ANTELOPE, though considerably smaller than the roan, is yet a
handsomer animal. In colour the adult male, when in high condition, is
jet-black all over with the exception of the white face-markings and the
snow-white of the belly and insides of the thighs. The mane is longer and
more bushy than in the roan antelope, and often hangs down on either side
over the withers. The horns, too, are much finer, and, sweeping backwards
in a bold curve, are commonly upwards of 42 inches long, and have been
known to reach 50 inches. The striking colour, large size, and horns of
this creature make it one of the most-prized trophies of the sportsman. The
skin, when prepared and laid down as a rug in halls or dwelling-rooms, is
far more handsome than that of any deer. The female of this species is
usually of a rich red-brown in colour instead of black as in the male.
South of the Zambesi, however, old cows become almost absolutely black.
North of the Zambesi both male and female sable antelopes are dark red in
colour rather than black. The horns in the female are slighter and less
curved than in the male, and are also considerably shorter, as a rule not
measuring over 30 inches in length.
The range of the sable antelope extends from the northern districts of the
Transvaal to German East Africa. In the country between the Limpopo and the
Central Zambesi it used to be a very common animal, especially in the
northern districts of Mashonaland. It is partial to open forests
intersected by grassy, well-watered glades, and is never found on open
plains entirely devoid of bush. It is usually met with in herds of from
twelve to twenty individuals, but I have often seen as many as fifty, and
once counted between seventy and eighty together. However large a herd of
sable antelopes may be, it is very exceptional to find with it more than
one fully adult male, from which fact I should judge that these animals are
of a very jealous and pugnacious disposition. When wounded and brought to
bay by dogs, a sable antelope defends itself with the utmost fury, using
its long scimitar-shaped horns with most wonderful quickness and dexterity.
If badly wounded it will lie down, otherwise it fights standing. Keeping
its face to some of its foes, with a sideways twist of its head it will
transfix and throw into the air any dog which attempts to attack it from
behind. I have seen a wounded sable antelope, when lying down, drive one of
its horns clean through a large dog deep into its own haunch, and I have
had four valuable hounds killed and four others grievously wounded by one
of these animals in less than a minute. I once knew a native hunter who was
stabbed through the kidneys and killed by a sable antelope cow.
[Illustration: _Photo by the Duchess of Bedford_] [_Woburn Abbey._
ROAN ANTELOPE.
In common with the Sable Antelope and the Oryx group, both sexes of this
species carry horns.]
[Illustration: _Photo by Norman B. Smith, Esq._
MALE OF GRANT'S GAZELLE.
This fine East African species is one of the handsomest of its kind.]
The nearest allies of the sable and roan antelopes are the various species
of the genus Oryx. In this group are included the WHITE ORYX, which
inhabits the desert regions of the interior of Northern Africa from Dongola
to Senegal; the BEATRIX ORYX of Southern Arabia; the GEMSBUCK of
South-western Africa; the BEISA, which is found in North-east Africa from
Suakim southwards to the river Tana; and the TUFTED BEISA, which is very
nearly related to the last-named species, whose place it takes south of the
Tana River in certain districts of British and German East Africa. In
general appearance there is a strong family resemblance between the
different species of oryx. In all of them both sexes carry horns, which are
considerably longer, though somewhat slighter, in the females than in the
males. In the white oryx the horns are curved backwards; but in the other
four species they are straight, or nearly so. In all the faces are
conspicuously banded with black and white, and the tails long, with large
dark terminal brushes. The two most desert-loving species, the white and
the Beatrix oryx, are paler in general body-colour than the other three,
and the latter animal is considerably smaller than any other member of the
group, standing not more than 35 inches at the withers. The gemsbuck is the
largest and undoubtedly the handsomest of the group, standing 4 feet at the
shoulders; the horns of the females are often upwards of 40 inches long,
and have been known to attain a length of 48 inches.
[Illustration: GROUP OF BEISA ORYX.
This most interesting photograph, taken by Lord Delamere, shows a group of
these fine antelopes on the East African plains.]
In habits all species of oryx seem to be very similar. They are denizens of
the arid sun-scorched plains of Africa, which are not necessarily devoid of
all kind of vegetation, but are often covered with stunted bush, and carry
a plentiful crop of coarse grass after rain. Oryx usually run in herds of
from four or five to fifteen or twenty, though the beisa, the most abundant
of the group, has been met with in troops numbering 400 or 500 head. All
the oryx are shy and wary, and in the open country they usually frequent
are difficult to approach on foot. If pursued on horseback, they run at a
steady gallop, which they can maintain for long distances, swinging their
bushy black tails from side to side, and holding their heads in such a way
that their long straight horns are only sloped slightly backwards. Fleet
and enduring, however, as oryx undoubtedly are, I am of opinion that in
these respects the gemsbuck of South Africa, at any rate, is inferior to
all other large antelopes living in the same country, with the single
exception of the eland. I have often, when mounted on a fast horse,
galloped right up to herds of gemsbuck, and on two occasions have run
antelopes of this species to an absolute standstill. Oryx of all species
should be approached with caution when badly wounded, as they are liable to
make short rushes, and can use their horns with great effect.
Nearly related to the antelopes of the Oryx group in many essential
characteristics, yet at once distinguishable by its spiral horns and broad
reindeer-like feet, the desert-haunting ADDAX has been placed in a separate
genus, of which it is the sole representative.
This remarkable animal stands about 38 inches in height at the withers, and
varies in general colour at different seasons of the year, from brownish
grey to a reddish hue. The forehead is covered with a thick growth of bushy
black hair, beneath which there is a patch of white extending across the
nose to under the eyes. The hindquarters, tail, and legs are white. The
horns are spiral, and are present in both sexes. In the male they attain a
length of about 28 inches in a straight line, and almost 36 inches
following the spiral. In the female they are thinner and less spirally
curved. The addax is confined to the desert regions of Northern Africa from
Dongola to Senegal, and the broad, rounded hoofs, so unlike those of any
other antelope, would seem to show that it inhabits countries where the
soil is deep, soft sand.
[Illustration: _Photo by S. G. Payne, Aylesbury, by permission of the Hon.
Walter Rothschild._
WHITE ORYX.
Found in Northern Africa from Dongola to Senegal.]
[Illustration: _Photo by W. P. Dando_] [_Regent's Park._
BEISA ORYX.
The beisa is found in North-east Africa; by some it is believed to have
suggested the original idea of the unicorn.]
Very little is known of the life history or habits of this antelope. It is
said to associate in pairs or small herds, and to be entirely independent
of water, though it travels great distances over the desert in the track of
thunder-storms for the sake of the young herbage which grows so quickly
wherever rain falls in those thirsty regions. It is killed in considerable
numbers by the Arabs for the sake of its flesh and hide, and is either
stalked or hunted on horseback, with the help of greyhounds, by Europeans.
The last of the sub-families into which modern naturalists have divided the
antelopes of the world comprises some of the handsomest species of the
whole group, and includes the largest of all antelopes, the Eland, as well
as such small and beautifully marked creatures as the Harnessed Bushbucks.
With one exception--the Nilgai--all the members of this sub-family are
denizens of the great African Continent.
The NILGAI, or BLUE BULL, is an inhabitant of India, and is found
throughout the greater portion of the peninsula, from the base of the
Himalaya to the south of Mysore. It is an animal of large size, standing
about 4 feet 6 inches at the shoulder. In general colour the male is of a
dark iron-grey, the female tawny fawn. White spots on the cheeks and just
above the hoofs on the fore and hind feet are the outward signs of its
affinity to the African harnessed antelopes. The male alone carries horns,
which are nearly straight and very small for the size of the animal, rarely
exceeding 9 inches in length.
Passing now to the Harnessed Antelopes of Africa, our attention is first
claimed by the BUSHBUCKS. Excluding the Inyala and the Broad-horned
Antelope, we find several forms of the smaller bushbucks recognised by
naturalists: _viz._ the HARNESSED ANTELOPE of the forest regions of Western
Africa; the CAPE BUSHBUCK of South Africa; CUMMING'S BUSHBUCK of Eastern
Africa; and the DECULA BUSHBUCK of Abyssinia. The various forms of bushbuck
vary in general colour from very dark brown to various shades of
grey-brown, yellow-brown, and rich red. In all species the young are more
or less striped and spotted; but whereas in some forms the adult animals
lose their stripes and spots almost entirely, in others the adults are more
richly marked than immature specimens. For my part, I am inclined to
believe that, if large series of bushbuck-skins were collected from every
district throughout Africa, it would be found that all the varieties of
this animal at present accepted as distinct species would be found to grade
into one another in such a way that only one true species could be
recognised.
[Illustration: _Photo by S. G. Payne, Aylesbury, by permission of the Hon.
Walter Rothschild._
GERENUK.
A gazelle-like antelope with long neck and legs, inhabiting North-east
Africa.]
The bushbucks vary in height at the shoulder from 28 inches to 33 inches,
and only the males carry horns, which are nearly straight, with a close
spiral twist, and measure in adult animals from 10 inches to 18 inches in
length.
Bushbucks are not found in open country, but live in forest or thick bush
near the bank of a river, stream, or lake, and are never met with far from
water. They are very partial to wooded ravines amongst broken, mountainous
country, provided such districts are well watered; and are very solitary in
their habits, both males and females being usually found alone, though the
latter are often accompanied by a kid or half-grown animal. They are shy
and retiring, and should be looked for between daylight and sunrise, or
late in the evening, as they are very nocturnal in their habits, and lie
concealed in long grass or thick bush during the heat of the day. Their
call resembles the bark of a dog, and may often be heard at nights.
The BROAD-HORNED ANTELOPE is only found in the forests of the West African
coast range, from Liberia to Gaboon. The male of this species is a very
handsome animal, standing about 43 inches at the withers, and is a bright
chestnut-red in general colour, with a white spinal stripe extending from
the withers to the root of the tail, and fourteen or fifteen white stripes
on the shoulders, flanks, and hindquarters. The ears are large and rounded,
and the horns very massive, and about 30 inches in length, measured over
the single spiral twist. There are two or three large white spots on the
cheeks, and a broad white arrow-shaped mark across the nose below the eyes.
The female is similar in coloration to the male, but smaller and hornless.
Little or nothing is known as to the habits of this very beautiful
antelope. Du Chaillu, who met with it in the interior of Gaboon between
1856 and 1859, says that it is "very shy, swift of foot, and exceedingly
graceful in its motions"; but he does not tell us whether it lives in pairs
like the bushbucks, or in small herds like some of its other near allies.
[Illustration: _Photo by York & Son_] [_Notting Hill._
FEMALE NILGAI.
The largest of the antelopes of India, and a distant cousin of the Kudu.]
[Illustration: _Photo by York & Son_] [_Notting Hill._
ADDAX.
Unfortunately, the specimen from which this photograph was taken had lost
its splendid spiral horns.]
The INYALA is another bush-loving antelope closely allied to the bushbucks.
In this species the general colour of the adult male is a deep dark grey,
that of the female and young male bright yellow-red, and both sexes are
beautifully striped with narrow white bands on the body and haunches. In
the male long dark hair hangs from the throat, chest, and each side of the
belly, and fringes the front of the thigh almost to the hock, and the back
of it up to the root of the tail. The ears are large and rounded; and the
horns, which are only present in the male, attain a length of about 2 feet
in a straight line, and 30 inches along their spiral curve. The standing
height at the shoulder of males of this species is about 42 inches.
This most beautiful antelope has a very restricted range, being only found
in a narrow belt of coastland extending from St. Lucia Bay to the Sabi
River, in South-east Africa, and in a still smaller area in the
neighbourhood of the Upper Shiri River, in British Central Africa.
Before the acquisition of firearms by the natives in South-east Africa, the
inyala was very plentiful in Northern Zululand and Amatongaland, and was
then to be met with in herds of from ten to twenty individuals; whilst the
males, which at certain seasons of the year separated from the females,
were in the habit of consorting together in bands of from five to eight.
Constant persecution by the natives in Amatongaland and the countries
farther north very much reduced the numbers of inyalas in those districts a
long time ago; but in Zululand, where this animal has been strictly
protected by the British authorities for the last twenty years, it was
still plentiful up to 1896, when the rinderpest swept over the country, and
committed such sad ravages amongst all the tragelaphine antelopes that it
is to be feared the inyala can now no longer be found anywhere in any
considerable numbers. Where I met with these antelopes some years ago, in
the country to the south of Delagoa Bay, I found them living either alone
or in pairs like bushbucks. They frequented dense thickets in the immediate
neighbourhood of a river or lagoon, and I never saw one in anything like
open country or far away from water. Their tracks showed me that at night
they were accustomed to feed in open spaces in the bush, but they always
retired to the jungle again at daylight, as they had become very wary and
cunning through constant persecution at the hands of the natives.
[Illustration: _Photo by York & Son, Notting Hill._
NORTHERN GIRAFFE.
Two distinct types of Giraffe exist: the northern form, which has a large
third horn, may be described as a chocolate-coloured animal marked with a
network of fine buff lines; the southern form, in which the third horn is
small, is fawn coloured with irregular brown blotches.]
Closely allied to the bush-antelopes of the present group are the
swamp-haunting SITATUNGAS. Three species of these have been described,--one
from East Africa, named after Captain Speke; another from tropical West
Africa; and a third from Lake Ngami and the Chobi River, named after the
present writer.
[Illustration: _Photo by Mr. W. Rau_] [_Philadelphia._
A PAIR OF YOUNG PRONGBUCKS.
From the fact that the horns of the males are annually shed, the prongbuck
is assigned to a group apart from the Antelopes.]
There is very little difference between the adult males of these three
species, except that in the West African form the coat is of a darker
colour than in the other two. The main difference consists in the fact
that, whereas the female of Selous' sitatunga is light brown in colour like
the male, and the newly born young are very dark blackish brown (the colour
of a mole), beautifully striped and spotted with pale yellow, the female
and young of the other two forms are red in ground-colour, with white spots
and stripes. However, personally I am of opinion that there is only one
true species of sitatunga in all Africa, and that the differences between
the various forms are superficial, and would be found to grade one into the
other, if a sufficiently large series of skins of all ages and both sexes
could be gathered together from all parts of the continent. In the Barotse
Valley, on the Upper Zambesi, my friend Major R. T. Coryndon informs me
that both red and brown female sitatungas are met with. On the Lower Chobi
and Lake Ngami region the females are never red, but always of the same
brown colour as the males, whilst on the Congo all the females are red.
The male sitatunga stands about 3 feet 6 inches at the shoulder, and varies
in general colour in different localities from light to dark brown. The
adult females are either red with a few faint stripes and spots, or light
brown, only retaining very faint traces of any stripes or spots. The young
are, both in tropical West and Central East Africa, red, striped, and
spotted with white; but in South-west Africa dark blackish brown, with
spots and stripes of yellowish white. The hoofs are excessively long, and
the skin which covers the back of the pastern is hairless, and of a very
thick and horny consistency. The males alone carry horns, which are of the
same character as in the inyala, but more spiral and longer, having been
known to attain a length of 28 inches in a straight line and 35 inches over
the curve.
The sitatunga is an inhabitant of the extensive swamps which exist in many
parts of the interior of Africa. It may be said to live in the water, as it
passes its life in flooded beds of reeds and papyrus, into the muddy
bottoms of which its long hoofs, when splayed out, prevent it from sinking.
When forced out into dry ground by heavy floods, the formation of its feet
so hinders it in running that it can be overtaken and speared by a native
on foot. I was informed by the natives on the Chobi River that, when the
floods enabled them to paddle their canoes through the reed-beds, they
often killed considerable numbers of the sitatungas. These animals, they
said, when they saw a canoe approaching, would often not attempt to seek
safety by flight, but would sink down in the water, submerging their whole
bodies, and leaving only their nostrils above the surface, and in this
position were easily speared.
The sitatunga is not gregarious, but is met with singly or in pairs. The
hair is long, but soft and silky; and the skins are much sought after by
the natives for blankets.
In addition to the bushbucks and sitatungas, two more very notable
spiral-horned African antelopes remain to be mentioned--namely, the GREATER
KUDU and the LESSER KUDU.
[Illustration: _Photo by the Duchess of Bedford_] [_Woburn Abbey._
FEMALE GORAL.
The goral is a Himalayan antelope, with somewhat the habits of a chamois.]
[Illustration: _Photo by W. P. Dando_] [_Regent's Park._
HARNESSED ANTELOPE.
A very beautiful species, in which the ground-colour of the coat is a rich
chestnut, while the spots and stripes are pure white.]
The GREATER KUDU is one of the most magnificent-looking of the whole family
of antelopes, and is an animal of large size, an adult male standing 4 feet
9 inches and upwards at the withers. The general colour of this species is
light brown to dark grey, the old males looking much darker than females or
younger animals, because the scantiness of their coats shows the dark
colour of the skin beneath. On each side of the body and hind-quarters
there are several white stripes, which vary in number from four to eight or
nine. As in all this group of antelopes, there are two or three
cheek-spots, as well as an arrow-shaped white mark across the nose, below
the eyes. In the male there is a slight mane on the back of the neck, and a
fringe of long white and blackish-brown hair intermixed, extending from the
throat to the chest. The ears are very large and rounded, and the male is
adorned with magnificent spiral horns, which have been known to attain a
length of 48 inches in a straight line from base to tip, and 64 inches over
the curve.
The greater kudu once had a very wide range, which extended from the
central portions of the Cape Colony to Angola on the west, and on the east
throughout East Africa up to Abyssinia; but, with the single exception of
the buffalo, no species of wild animal suffered more from the terrible
scourge of rinderpest which recently swept over the continent than this
lordly antelope, and it has almost ceased to exist in many districts of
South and South Central Africa, where up to 1896 it was still very
numerous.
[Illustration: _Photo by Percy Ashenden_] [_Cape Town._
MALE KUDU.
A kudu bull stands about 5 feet or a little more at the withers, being in
size only inferior to the eland. The horns form a corkscrew-like spiral.]
The greater kudu is a bush-loving antelope, and very partial to wooded
hills, though it is also plentiful in the neighbourhood of rivers which
flow through level tracts of country covered with forest and bush. In my
own experience it is never found at any great distance from water. It eats
leaves and wild fruits as well as grass, and lives in small herds or
families, never, I believe, congregating in large numbers. In Southern
Africa, at any rate, it was always exceptional to see more than twenty
greater kudus together, and I have never seen more than thirty. At certain
seasons of the year the males leave the females, and live alone or several
together. I once saw nine magnificently horned kudus standing on the bank
of the Chobi, and I have often seen four or five males of this species
consorting together. As a rule the greater kudu is met with in hilly
country or in bush so dense that a horse cannot gallop through it at full
speed; but if met with in open ground, a good horse can overtake an old
male without much difficulty. The females are much lighter and faster, and
cannot be overtaken in any kind of ground.
The greater kudu is one of the most timid and inoffensive of animals, and
when attacked by dogs will not make the slightest attempt to defend itself
either with its horns or by kicking.
The LESSER KUDU in general colour nearly resembles its larger relative, but
is much smaller, the males only standing about 40 inches at the withers,
and it lacks the long fringe of hair under the throat. The white stripes on
the body and hindquarters are, however, more numerous--from eleven to
fourteen; and the horns, which are only present in the males, are less
divergent, and with the spiral curvature much closer than in the greater
kudu.
The lesser kudu is an inhabitant of Somaliland and the maritime districts
of British East, Africa. It frequents thick scrubby jungle, and is said to
be exceedingly watchful and wary. It lives either in pairs or in small
families, but never congregates in large herds. Like all the tragelaphine
antelopes, this species is a leaf-eater, and feeds principally during the
night, lying up in thick bush during the heat of the day.
[Illustration: _Photo by J. W. McLellan_] [_Highbury._
ELAND.
A feature of the eland is the large "dewlap." Unlike the kudu, both sexes
are horned.]
There remains to be mentioned but one other group of antelopes, the ELANDS,
large, heavily built animals, which belong to the present group, but differ
from all species of kudu, sitatunga, and bushbuck, inasmuch as both sexes
are horned. There are two forms of the COMMON ELAND--namely, the grey
variety of South-western Africa, and the striped animal, which is found in
the countries farther north and east. The two forms grade one into the
other, and are absolutely identical in their habits and mode of life, the
differences between them being merely superficial. To the south of the
twenty-third parallel of south latitude all elands are of a uniform fawn
colour, except the old animals, which look dark grey, from the fact that
the scantiness of their coats allows the dark colour of the skin to show
through the hair. Old males, when standing in the shade of a tree, appear
to be of a deep blue-grey in colour, and are known to the colonists of
South Africa as "blue bulls." In Rhodesia, South-east Africa, and the
countries to the north of the Zambesi, all the elands are bright
chestnut-red when young, with a black line down the centre of the back from
the withers to the tail, broad black patches on the backs of the fore legs
above the knees, and eight or nine white stripes on each side. When they
grow old, the ruddiness of the ground-colour gradually fades, the black
markings on the fore legs die out, and the white stripes become
indistinguishable at a short distance, the old bulls looking deep blue-grey
in general colour. Every intermediate stage of colouring between the
unstriped and the highly coloured forms of eland is to be found in the
district lying between the central portions of the Kalahari Desert and the
Zambesi River. Old male elands south of the Zambesi develop a growth of
long, bristly black hair on the forehead, which often hangs over their eyes
and extends half-way down their noses. North of the Zambesi this growth of
hair is not nearly so luxuriant.
I have carefully measured the standing height at the withers of many old
male elands in the interior of South Africa, and found that it varied from
5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 10 inches. The horns of bulls in their prime
measure from 26 inches to 33 inches in length, but old bulls wear their
horns down very much. The cows carry longer, though thinner horns than the
bulls.
The range of the eland once extended from Cape Agulhas to the White Nile,
but it has become extinct in many districts of Southern Africa, and in
almost every other portion of its range has, like all other tragelaphine
antelopes, suffered so cruelly from the recent visitation of rinderpest
that it has now become a scarce animal all over Africa.
[Illustration: _Photo by the Duchess of Bedford_] [_Woburn Abbey._
ELAND COWS.
Female elands carry longer, although more slender horns than the bulls.]
During the rainy season elands are usually met with in small herds of from
four or five to ten individuals; but towards the end of the dry season they
collect into large herds, and at such times I have often seen from fifty to
over two hundred of these animals in one troop.
In my experience elands live for two-thirds of the year in forest or
bush-covered country, or amongst rugged hills; and in such localities they
are difficult to overtake on horseback; but in the middle of the dry
season, as soon as they smell the smoke of the grass fires lighted by the
natives on the open plateaux, they leave their retreats, and, collecting in
herds, wander out on to the treeless plains in search of young grass. They
then fall an easy prey to a mounted hunter, especially the heavy old bulls,
which can be run to a standstill with ease by a very moderate horse.
The flesh of the eland is excellent when the animal is in good condition,
as at such a time these animals become very fat, especially the old bulls,
whose hearts become encased in a mass of fat which will often weigh 20 lbs.
It is a mistake, however, to think that eland-meat is always good; for
towards the end of the dry season, when there is little grass to be got,
they feed extensively on the leaves of certain bushes, and their meat at
such times becomes very poor and tasteless.
Besides the common eland of Southern, Central, and Eastern Africa, another
distinct species is met with in Senegal and the Gambia Colony. This is the
DERBIAN ELAND, about which animal our knowledge is still very slight, as I
believe that it has never yet been shot nor its habits studied by a
European traveller. A good many skulls and horns and a few skins have been
obtained from natives, from which it appears that in general colour this
species is of a rich reddish-fawn colour, becoming nearly white below, the
middle of the belly being black. The neck is covered with long hair of a
dark brown or black colour, blacker towards the shoulder than in front. A
broad black stripe extends all down the centre of the back from the neck to
the root of the tail, and there are large black patches on the backs and
inner sides of the fore legs above the knees. On each side of the body and
haunches there are thirteen or fourteen narrow white stripes. The horns are
larger and more massive and divergent than in the common eland.
[Illustration: _Photo by W. P. Dando_] [_Regent's Park._
BULL ELAND.
The flesh of the eland is of better flavour than that of most other large
game. If sheltered in winter, the species will thrive in English parks.]
The Derbian eland is said to be a forest-loving animal, never of its own
accord coming out into the plains. It lives in small herds, is very shy and
not at all abundant, and browses on the leaves and young shoots of various
trees and bushes.
[Illustration: _Photo by W. P. Dando_] [_Regent's Park._
THE SOUTHERN GIRAFFE.
The tallest mammal ever known to walk the earth.]
----