Rocky Mountain Goat.
America possesses only one species of wild goat, the place of this genus being taken in the southern part of the continent by the camel-like guanacos. TheRocky Mountain Goat, the North American representative of the group, is a somewhat anomalous creature. It has very few of the characteristics of the European and Asiatic species. In place of being active in body and vivacious in temperament, it is a quiet, lethargic creature, able, it is true, to scale the high mountains of the North-west and to live among the snows, but with none of the energetic habits of the ibex or the tahr. In form it is heavy and badly built. It is heavy in front and weak behind, like a bison. The eye is small, the head large, and the shoulders humped. It feeds usually on very high ground; but hunters who take the trouble to ascend to these altitudes find little difficulty in killing as many wild goats as they wish. These goats are most numerous in the ranges of British Columbia, where they are found in small flocks of from three or four to twenty. Several may be killed before the herd is thoroughly alarmed, possibly because at the high altitudes at which they are found man has seldom disturbed them. None of the domesticated sheep or goats of the New World are indigenous to the continent of America. It is a curious fact, well worth studying from the point of view of the history of man, that, with the exception of the llama, the dog, and perhaps the guinea-pig, every domesticated animal in use from Cape Horn to the Arctic Ocean has been imported. The last of these importations is the reindeer, which, though the native species abounds in the Canadian woods, was obtained from Lapland and Eastern Asia.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOAT.Photo by Miss E. J. Beck.ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOAT.This is one of the few animals which are white at all seasons of the year. The horns and hoofs are jet-black, forming a striking contrast to the beautiful coat.
Photo by Miss E. J. Beck.ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOAT.This is one of the few animals which are white at all seasons of the year. The horns and hoofs are jet-black, forming a striking contrast to the beautiful coat.
Photo by Miss E. J. Beck.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOAT.
This is one of the few animals which are white at all seasons of the year. The horns and hoofs are jet-black, forming a striking contrast to the beautiful coat.
HIMALAYAN TAHR AND YOUNG.Photo by Miss E. J. Beck.HIMALAYAN TAHR AND YOUNG.The typical representative of the short-horned wild goats.
Photo by Miss E. J. Beck.HIMALAYAN TAHR AND YOUNG.The typical representative of the short-horned wild goats.
Photo by Miss E. J. Beck.
HIMALAYAN TAHR AND YOUNG.
The typical representative of the short-horned wild goats.
The history of this effort at acclimatisation is curious, and may be quoted in this connection. When the first rush to Klondike was made, the miners were imprisoned and inaccessible during the late winter. The coming of spring was the earliest period at which communication could be expected to be restored, and even then the problem of feeding the transport animals was a difficult one. The United States Government decided to try to open up a road from Alaska by means of sledges drawn by reindeer, and the Canadian Government devised a similar scheme. Agents were sent to Lapland and to the tribes on the western side of Bering Sea, and deer, drivers, and harness obtained from both. The deer were not used for the Klondike relief expeditions by the Americans; but the animals and their drivers were kept in Alaska, native reindeer were caught, and the latest news of the experiment is that the deer were found very useful for carrying the mails in winter.
THE ANTELOPES.
BY F. C. SELOUS.
TheTrue 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, theHartebeestsare 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.
BUBALINE HARTEBEEST.Photo by Miss E. J. Beck.BUBALINE HARTEBEEST.A small species, found in Syria as well as in North Africa.
Photo by Miss E. J. Beck.BUBALINE HARTEBEEST.A small species, found in Syria as well as in North Africa.
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.theBontebokand theBlesbok. 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.
BLESBOK.Photo by Percy Ashenden][Cape Town.BLESBOK.A species formerly very numerous in South Africa, but now well-nigh exterminated.
Photo by Percy Ashenden][Cape Town.BLESBOK.A species formerly very numerous in South Africa, but now well-nigh exterminated.
Photo by Percy Ashenden][Cape Town.
BLESBOK.
A species formerly very numerous in South Africa, but now well-nigh exterminated.
WHITE-TAILED GNU AND CALF.Photo by J. W. McLellan][Highbury.WHITE-TAILED GNU AND CALF.This "Wildebeest" is now believed to be practically exterminated as a wild animal.
Photo by J. W. McLellan][Highbury.WHITE-TAILED GNU AND CALF.This "Wildebeest" is now believed to be practically exterminated as a wild animal.
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.
A COW BRINDLED GNU.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.
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.
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.
RED-FLANKED DUIKER.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.
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.
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.
TheWhite-tailed Gnu, orBlack 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. Thereare 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.
TheBrindled Gnuis 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, theWhite-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 ofBlue 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.
KLIPSPRINGER.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.
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.
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 AfricanDuikersand the IndianFour-horned Antelope, and the second theDik-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, theCommon Duikerof 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.
SING-SING WATERBUCK.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
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
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
MOUNTAIN REEDBUCK.Photo by W. P. Dando][Regent's Park.MOUNTAIN REEDBUCK.One of a group of small antelopes still common in many parts of Africa.
Photo by W. P. Dando][Regent's Park.MOUNTAIN REEDBUCK.One of a group of small antelopes still common in many parts of Africa.
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.
TheFour-horned Antelopeis 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.
MALE IMPALA, OR PALLA.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.
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.
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 theKlipspringeras 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 smallprojecting 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.
MALE SAIGA ANTELOPES.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.
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.
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 theWaterbucks, 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.theCommon Waterbuckof South Africa, whose range extends from the Limpopo northwards, through Nyasaland to German and British East Africa, and to the Shebeyli River, in Somaliland; theSing-singof Senegal and Gambia; and theDefassa Waterbuckof 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.
TheReedbucksare 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 theCommon Reedbuckof 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 theRooi Rhebuckof 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.
ThePalla, 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.
ARABIAN GAZELLEPhoto by Miss E. J. Beck.ARABIAN GAZELLEGazelles are some of the most slenderly built of all antelopes.
Photo by Miss E. J. Beck.ARABIAN GAZELLEGazelles are some of the most slenderly built of all antelopes.
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 theSaiga, 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.
GOITRED GAZELLES FROM MESOPOTAMIA.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.
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.
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.theTibetan Gazelle,Prejevalski's Gazelle, theMongolian Gazelle, and thePersian 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 theRed-fronted Gazelleof Senegal and Gambia; the little-knownMhorr Gazelleof South-western Morocco; and theDama Gazelle, a species which has been known to naturalists ever since the time of Buffon. A near ally of the last-named animal is theRed-necked Gazelleof Dongola and Senaar. In North-eastern Africa are found the large and handsomeSoemmerring's Gazelle; theIsabella Gazelle, of the coastlands of the Red Sea;Heuglin's Gazelle;Pelzeln's Gazelle, of the maritime plains of Northern Somaliland; andSpeke's Gazelle, of the interior of the same country; whilst, farther south the group is represented by the large and beautifulGrant'sGazelle, with its alliesPeters's GazelleandThomson's Gazelle. The well-knownDorcas Gazelleis an inhabitant of Morocco and Algeria, ranging through Egypt into Palestine and Syria; theMarica Gazelle, theMuscat Gazelle, and theArabian Gazelleinhabit the deserts of Arabia; theEdmi Gazelleis found in the mountain-ranges of Morocco, Algeria, and Tunis; whileLoder's Gazelleinhabits 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 theIndian Gazelle, a species very closely allied to the Arabian form.
Of the whole genusGrant's Gazelleis 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.
SPEKE'S GAZELLE.Photo by L. Midland, F.Z.S.][North Finchley.SPEKE'S GAZELLE.Found in the interior of Northern Somaliland.
Photo by L. Midland, F.Z.S.][North Finchley.SPEKE'S GAZELLE.Found in the interior of Northern Somaliland.
Photo by L. Midland, F.Z.S.][North Finchley.
SPEKE'S GAZELLE.
Found in the interior of Northern Somaliland.
GAZELLES FROM EGYPT.Photo by W. P. Dando][Regent's Park.GAZELLES FROM EGYPT.Seen in great numbers when our troops crossed the Bayuda Desert.
Photo by W. P. Dando][Regent's Park.GAZELLES FROM EGYPT.Seen in great numbers when our troops crossed the Bayuda Desert.
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 theSpringbuckof 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 theline 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."
RED-FRONTED GAZELLE.Photo by W. P. Dando][Regent's Park.RED-FRONTED GAZELLE.Inhabits Dongola and Senaar.
Photo by W. P. Dando][Regent's Park.RED-FRONTED GAZELLE.Inhabits Dongola and Senaar.
Photo by W. P. Dando][Regent's Park.
RED-FRONTED GAZELLE.
Inhabits Dongola and Senaar.
Two other antelopes, theDibatagand theGerenuk, 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.
TheDibatagis 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.
RED-FRONTED GAZELLE.Photo by W. P. Dando][Regent's Park.RED-FRONTED GAZELLE.Another view of the specimen shown above.
Photo by W. P. Dando][Regent's Park.RED-FRONTED GAZELLE.Another view of the specimen shown above.
Photo by W. P. Dando][Regent's Park.
RED-FRONTED GAZELLE.
Another view of the specimen shown above.
TheGerenuk, 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 themales and females are horned. With the single exception of theBeatrix Oryx, which inhabits Arabia, all these antelopes are denizens of Africa. One species of the group, theBluebuck, 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 markedRoan 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.
MALE SPRINGBUCK.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.
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.
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, attaininga 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.
SABLE ANTELOPE.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.
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.
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.
TheSable 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 oncecounted 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.