The book of antelopes, vol. 1 (of 4)Sclater, Philip Lutley
Science
The book of antelopes, vol. 1 (of 4)
Sclater, Philip Lutley
Antelopes
[Illustration: Fig. 11.
_Damaliscus albifrons._]
Of the Blessbok, so far as I know, Lord Derby never procured for the
Knowsley Menagerie but a single female, which was figured by Waterhouse
Hawkins on the same plate of the ‘Gleanings’ as the Bonteboks. At
the sale of the Knowsley Menagerie in August 1851, this animal was
purchased by Mr. Westermann for the Zoological Society of Amsterdam.
In 1861 the Zoological Society of London received, as a present from
Sir George Grey, then Governor of the Cape Colony, a single female of
this Antelope along with other valuable animals. A male of the same
species was obtained by purchase in 1862 and a female about two years
later. These animals throve and bred in the Society’s Gardens, and
young ones were born in 1866, 1869, and 1870. But in the absence of
fresh importations the whole stock was lost, and no Blessboks have
been exhibited in the Society’s Gardens since 1880, when a single
specimen was received “on deposit.” In many of the continental gardens
also Blessboks were formerly to be seen, but of late years they have
become extremely scarce; although we are informed that there are
still solitary examples living at Berlin, Antwerp, and Amsterdam, and
Mr. Reiche kindly tells us that he imported three females from the
Transvaal this summer.
In the National Collection at the British Museum the Blessbok, we
regret to say, is even more imperfectly represented than the Bontebok.
Besides a mounted female specimen in bad condition there are only a
few frontlets of this species, so that additional specimens of this
beautiful Antelope, before it becomes quite extinct, would be specially
acceptable.
The drawing of this Antelope (Plate IX.) and the woodcut now given (p.
82) were both prepared under Sir Victor Brooke’s directions. The Plate
was engraved by Smit from one of Mr. Wolf’s sketches.
_January, 1895._
[Illustration:
THE BOOK OF ANTELOPES. PL. X.
_Wolf del. Smit lith._ _Hanhart imp._
The Sassaby.
DAMALISCUS LUNATUS.
_Published by R. H. Porter._]
15. THE SASSABY.
DAMALISCUS LUNATUS (BURCH.).
[PLATE X.]
_Sasayby_, =Daniell=, Afr. Sketch, pl. 18 (1820).
_Antilope lunata_, =Burchell=, Travels, ii. p. 334 (1824); =id.=
List Quadr. pres. to B. M. p. 5 (1825) (Makkwarin R., Orange
Free State); =Fisch.= Syn. Mamm. p. 642 (1830); =Wagn.= Schr.
Säug. Supp. iv. p. 471 (1844), v. p. 446 (1855); =Schinz=, Syn.
Mamm. ii. p. 444 (1845); =Gieb.= Säug. p. 298 (1859).
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