The book of antelopes, vol. 4 (of 4)

LIST OF THE SPECIES AND SUBSPECIES OF ANTELOPES DESCRIBED AS NEW DURING THE PROGRESS OF THIS WORK.

Genus BUBALIS. (Vol. I. p. 5.)

Bubalis neumanni.

Mr. Rothschild has based this species upon two skulls with horns, of male and female, and parts of a skin obtained by Mr. A. H. Neumann on the east shore and to the north-east of Lake Rudolf. He describes it as follows:—

“The horns of this species differ widely from those of Bubalis major (Blyth), of West Africa, and B. buselaphus (Pall.), of Northern Africa and Arabia, in being slenderer and in their tips being inverted, instead of pointing outwards or straight behind. The nearest ally seems to be B. tora (Gray) of Upper Nubia, Abyssinia, and Kordofan, which, however, has more slender horns, with more distinct rings, reaching almost round, a broader forehead, and a generally paler coloration. The horns also diverge much more in B. tora, as shown at a glance by the distances between the tips of the horns, as recorded in R. Ward’s ‘Horn Measurements.’

“The horns of B. neumanni measure as follows:—

“Circumference at base, ♂ 273 millim., ♀ 183; total length along the curves, ♂ 420, ♀ 345; tip to tip, ♂ 206, ♀ 249.

“The rings of the horns are not very prominent and do not reach all round.

“Breadth of skull at forehead, ♂ 100 millim., ♀ 80; length of skull from base of horn to upper lip, along the side in a straight line: ♂ 430, ♀ 403 millim.

“Colour of hair fulvous fawn, much richer on the back, where there are also some darker spots, which may be stains or natural; below very much paler. Chin blackish, tip of tail black. The male is brighter and darker in colour than the female. There are also on the back some patches with longer, thicker, almost whitish-buff hair, perhaps remains of the winter fur.”

Genus CONNOCHÆTES. (Vol. I. p. 93.)

Connochætes taurinus johnstoni.

Under this subspecific name Sclater has shortly described and figured the local form of the Brindled Gnu that occurs on the plains of the Shiré Highlands, Nyasaland. The difference consists mainly in the generally brownish colour of the body, and the broad whitish band across the face beneath the eyes. The mane is black or blackish as in C. taurinus typicus, not white as in C. albojubatus.

Some good field-notes on the same animal by Mr. R. Crawshay are appended to Sclater’s remarks.

Genus CEPHALOPHUS. (Vol. I. p. 121.)

Cephalophus hecki.

Herr Matschie has proposed this name for the geographical form of C. monticola (Bk. of Ant. i. p. 191) which occurs in Mozambique. The type is an adult male in the Berlin Museum from Mozambique, and there was also at the time of the description a specimen living in the Zoological Garden of Berlin.

Cephalophus lugens.

This is a member of the group of C. monticola, but larger and of darker colour than any other of the three species of that section—C. monticola, C. melanorheus, and C. æquatorialis. The typical specimens were obtained by Mr. A. Sharpe’s native hunters in Urori (or Usango), within the frontiers of German East Africa, north of Lake Nyasa, at an altitude of about 3000 feet.

Cephalophus leucoprosopus.

This species was based upon a pair of Antelopes living in the Zoological Garden, Berlin, stated to have been received from Angola. It is smaller than C. coronatus, and belongs to the same group, with hornless females (Sylvicapra, Ogilby). Its general colour is brown with a darker back; legs black; tail above black, beneath white. The species is remarkable for the colour of the head, in which the top of the nose and a triangular spot in front of the eyes are black; the forehead is red; the outer sides of the ears, hinder part of the head, and under-jaw are brownish. Round the eye runs a broad white line, which extends towards the nose in sharp contrast to the black colour; a spot at the base of the ear and the insides of the ears are also white.

Genus RAPHICERUS. (Vol. II. p. 33.)

Raphicerus campestris.

Dr. Jentink (Notes Leyd. Mus. xxii. p. 38, 1900) proposes (for reasons stated by him) to alter the name of the Antelope which we have described and figured as Raphicerus campestris to Pediotragus horstockii.

In the same paper Dr. Jentink describes an allied form from Mossamedes as Pediotragus kelleni. This species is based on two skulls in the Leyden Museum, obtained by the brothers v. d. Kellen at Cahama, Kakulovar River, Upper Cunene.

Raphicerus sharpei.

This is a species of Raphicerus with the white markings of the Grysbok R. melanotis), but with the feet of the Steinbok (R. campestris), having no supplementary hoofs.

The type (an adult male) was obtained by Mr. Alfred Sharpe in Southern Angoniland, B.C.A., and presented to the British Museum.

Genus NESOTRAGUS. (Vol. II. p. 49.)

Nesotragus livingstonianus zuluensis.

Thomas shows (op. cit.) that the form of Nesotragus livingstonianus from Zululand, which was referred by him (P. Z. S. 1893, p. 237) and by us in the present work (ii. p. 55) to the typical form, is subspecifically different. It is generally of a grizzled fawn-colour instead of deep rufous, and the fetlocks are only indistinctly blackish behind, instead of being prominently black all round. This subspecies seems also to have finer horns.

Genus MADOQUA. (Vol. II. p. 67.)

Madoqua cavendishi.

This species was established on a skull and a skin procured by Mr. H. S. H. Cavendish during his journey in N.E. Africa, probably in the neighbourhood of Lake Rudolf. It is a large species apparently allied to M. damarensis) but of “darker general colour, with broader and differently-shaped nasals, a higher and more open nasal cavity, and with separated premaxillæ.”

Genus COBUS. (Vol. II. p. 95.)

Cobus smithemani.

This species is based on a flat skin obtained by Mr. F. Smitheman, F.Z.S., in the neighbourhood of Lake Mweru, and indicates a large Antelope with long shaggy hair on the nape of the neck allied to C. maria, but without a white patch on the withers, which are chestnut, and without a white line down the back of the neck.

Cobus nigroscapulatus.

This species is based upon an old mounted specimen in the Darmstadt Museum which was obtained years ago by Harnier on the Bahr-el-Gebel between 6° and 7° N. lat. The horns have eighteen rings and are nearly parallel; they measure from base to tip 35·4 centim. in a straight line.

The ground-colour of the fur is yellow; the eye-region, a circular mark in front of the ears, rim round the nostrils, under lips, under neck, whole under surface, and inner sides of legs are white; the sides of the head, the whole body and a broad band across the breast, the hind margins of the shoulders, and thighs are yellow; an oval nose-spot, a broad band from the side of the neck, bordering the white breast, over the shoulders down to the hoofs are black, as are the groins and the hinder feet; a white ring surrounds the hoofs.

Cobus vardoni loderi.

On a skull and horns in the collection of Sir E. G. Loder, F.Z.S., from an unknown locality (of which a figure is given), Mr. Lydekker bases this subspecies of the Poku (cf. Bk. of Ant. vol. ii. p. 141). A somewhat similar specimen was obtained by Mr. Smitheman near Lake Bangweolo, and it is thought possible therefore that these specimens may belong to C. smithemani, described in the same paper.

Genus CERVICAPRA. (Vol. II. p. 155.)

Cervicapra thomasinæ.

Under this name Sclater has recently described and figured a species of Reedbuck, met with in Nyasaland, which he has characterized as follows:—“C. quoad formam C. arundinum fere similis, sed colore albo, in dorso cineraceo et pedibus antice fulvo-brunneis, ut videtur, satis diversa: alt. ad humeros 35 poll.—Hab. in ripis Laci Nyasæ, Afr. or.”

Cervicapra fulvorufula subalbina.

This is either a partially albino variety or a local form of Cervicapra fulvorufula, discovered by Mr. F. V. Kirby, F.Z.S., on the mountains of the Lydenburg district of the Transvaal. It differs from typical specimens in having the legs white from the knees down, white hoofs, a pure white tail above and beneath, a white spot on the forehead, and a more or less clearly defined white stripe down the back of the neck and along the dorsal line.

There are two specimens of this Antelope in the British Museum, presented by Mr. Kirby.

Genus LITHOCRANIUS. (Vol. III. p. 227.)

Lithocranius sclateri.

This name has been proposed for the form of Lithocranius that occurs in Somaliland. It is rather larger and has finer horns, as we have stated (see our remarks, vol. iii. p. 230). It is now pointed out that the typical form of East Africa is redder than that of Somaliland, that it has black knee-tufts, and shows a slight difference in the white markings of the tail.

Genus HIPPOTRAGUS. (Vol. IV. p. 3.)

Hippotragus langheldi.

Under this name it seems that the same geographical form is described as that which we have called Hippotragus equinus rufo-pallidus (suprà, p. 14), ex H. rufo-pallidus, Neumann, P. Z. S. 1898, p. 850. The type of H. langheldi is from Tabora, German East Africa; it is diagnosed as follows:—“H. bakeri affinis; colli jubâ tricolore, subtùs albâ, supernè brunneâ nigro marginatâ; pectore nigrescente, caudæ basi nigerrimâ.”