The book of antelopes, vol. 2 (of 4)Sclater, Philip Lutley
Science
The book of antelopes, vol. 2 (of 4)
Sclater, Philip Lutley
Antelopes
Besides Mr. Haggard’s skulls from Lamu, on which Thomas founded this
species, and a head from the same place in Mr. Jackson’s private
collection, there is in the National Museum the perfect skin and
skull of a fine Oribi recently obtained in East Africa and presented
by Mr. A. H. Neumann. No information as to its exact locality has as
yet reached us, and as its skull differs somewhat from that of the
Lamu _O. haggardi_, we are at present unable to form a definite
opinion as to its specific identity. If, as seems probable, this
interesting specimen is really referable to the present form, we may
say that _O. haggardi_ is in general colour rather greyer than the
other species, and that its tail has a decided black tuft at the end,
the proximal part of this organ being white-edged below. To identify
this specimen with the present species, however, will involve the
recognition of a considerable degree of variation in the skull and
horns, and without further material we are unable to do so definitely.
_December, 1895._
GENUS III. RAPHICERUS.
Type.
_Raphicerus_, =H. Sm.= Griff. An. K. v.
p. 342 (1827) R. CAMPESTRIS.
_Calotragus_, =Sund.= Pecora, K. Vet.-Ak. Handl.
1844, p. 192 (1846) R. CAMPESTRIS.
_Pediotragus_, =Fitz.= SB. Ak. Wien, lix.
pt. 1, p. 163 (1869) R. CAMPESTRIS.
Accessory hoofs present or absent. No naked glandular spots below ears
or tufts on knees. Tail short.
Skull stout and strongly built, with a short broad muzzle. Anteorbital
fossæ small but deep, their edges rounded and unridged above and below.
Horns nearly vertical, slender, scarcely ridged.
_Distribution._ South and East Africa.
The species we refer to this genus may be divided as follows:--
A. Accessory hoofs present. Fur profusely mixed with white.
46. _R. melanotis_
B. Accessory hoofs absent. Fur uniform in colour.
_a._ S. Africa 47. _R. campestris_.
_b._ Ugogo 48. _R. neumanni_
[Illustration:
THE BOOK OF ANTELOPES, PL. XXVII.
_Wolf del. Smit lith._ _Hanhart imp._
Fig. 1. The Steinbok.
RAPHICEROS CAMPESTRIS.
Fig. 2. The Grysbok.
RAPHICEROS MELANOTIS.
_Published by R·H·Porter._]
46. THE GRYSBOK.
RAPHICERUS MELANOTIS (THUNB.).
[PLATE XXVII. Fig. 2.]
_Greisbock_, =Thunb.= Resa, ii. p. 12 (1789); English Transl.
ii. p. 11 (1793).
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