The book of antelopes, vol. 1 (of 4)Sclater, Philip Lutley
Science
The book of antelopes, vol. 1 (of 4)
Sclater, Philip Lutley
Antelopes
Five years later the experienced African hunter and naturalist, Mr.
F. C. Selous, in the same Journal, gives us the following notes on
this Antelope:--“In travelling up the centre of South Africa, the
first place in which the Sassaby is to be met with now-a-days is in
the neighbourhood of the Marico River, a tributary of the Limpopo; and
from there it is found throughout Central South Africa wherever I have
been, south of the Zambesi, in all those parts of the country that are
suitable to its habits. I say south of the Zambesi, because during
my journey through the Manica country to the north of that river in
1877–78, although the terrain appeared well suited to its habits and
requirements, I saw none of these Antelopes. I have heard, however,
from the natives that they are very common in the neighbourhood of
Sesheke.
“This Antelope is never found in hilly country or in thick jungle, but
frequents the open downs that are quite free from bush, or else open
forest-country in which treeless glades are to be met with. On the
Mababe Flat at the end of the dry season large herds of these animals
congregate together, and I have often seen, I am sure, several hundreds
of them at once. They are, without exception, the fleetest and most
enduring Antelope in South Africa. In 1879 all the Tsessebe and Blue
Wildebeest cows calved on the northern bank of the Chobe during the
first week in September, whilst on the Mababe Flat, only about one
degree further south, the same animals did not calve before the first
week in November.”
Mr. Bertram L. Sclater, R.E., who was at Beira for a week in April
1892, on his way home from Nyasaland, informs us that he was told in
that town that the Sassaby is one of the commonest Antelopes on the
banks of the Lower Pungwe, and that he was shown several frontlets of
this species said to have been obtained between Beira and Chimoio. So
far as we know, this is the furthest northern locality recorded for
this species, which, as shown by Mr. Selous, does not appear to be
found anywhere north of the Zambesi.
[Illustration: Fig. 12.
Head of supposed hybrid between _Damaliscus lunatus_ and
_Bubalis caama_.
(P. Z. S. 1893, p. 2.)]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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