The book of antelopes, vol. 2 (of 4)Sclater, Philip Lutley
Science
The book of antelopes, vol. 2 (of 4)
Sclater, Philip Lutley
Antelopes
“The Antelope lives in the thick bush, it is seldom met with in the
open spaces between the clumps of vegetation, and has to be shot as it
darts from one bush to another.
“So far as I know, it has only one natural enemy on these little
islands, namely, a python, which is often of a great size, and which
can find little to live on here except these Antelopes and mice.”
In his volume on the Mammals of German East Africa, Herr Matschie
records the occurrence of the Zanzibar Antelope in several localities
on the continent. Stuhlmann met with it in Ukama and Usaramo, Fischer
at Gross-Aruscha, and Böhmer near Mpapwa.
The German explorers say that this Antelope feeds ordinarily on fresh
leaves, but accustoms itself to grass and bananas in captivity. Gravid
females were found in August and October, so that it seems to breed
twice a year. Fischer found it common everywhere during his journeys in
German East Africa. It is easily to be observed, early in the morning
and in the evening, if the sportsman hides away among the bushes, as at
these times it is on the feed. On being alarmed it utters a peculiar
cry.
In British East Africa Mr. Jackson, in his volume of the Badminton
Library Series on “Big Game Shooting,” tells us that the “Grave-Island
Gazelle,” as the British sportsmen call this species, is found in the
thick bush behind Frere-town, near Mombasa, and also in the Duruma
country. Like the “Paa” (_Madoqua kirki_) it is a bush-feeder, and
requires little or no water.
Dr. W. L. Abbott, as recorded by Mr. True, obtained a young male of
this species at a height of about 6000 feet on Kilimanjaro, where it
was brought to him alive by the natives.
There are no examples of this species from the mainland in the British
Museum.
_December, 1895._
50. LIVINGSTONE’S ANTELOPE.
NESOTRAGUS LIVINGSTONIANUS, KIRK.
_Antilope moschata_, =Peters=, Reise Mossamb., Säug. p. 189
(1852) (_nec_ v. Düben) (Tette).
_Nesotragus moschatus_, =Jent.= Cat. Ost. Leyd. Mus. (Mus.
Pays-Bas, ix.) p. 134 (1887); =id.= Cat. Mamm. Leyd. Mus. (op.
cit. xi.) p. 165 (1892).
_Nesotragus livingstonianus_, =Kirk=, P. Z. S. 1864, p. 657
(Shupanga); =Gray=, Cat. Rum. B. M. p. 31 (1872); =id.= Hand-l.
Rum. B. M. p. 100 (1873).
_Nanotragus livingstonianus_, =Thos.= P. Z. S. 1893, p. 237
(fig. skull) (Umkozi R., Zululand).
VERNACULAR NAMES:--_Rumpsa_ at Tette; _Injasorro_ in Mozambique
(_Peters_); _Inhlengana_ of Zulus (_A. H. Neumann_).
Size larger than _N. moschatus_, and in other respects a finer
and more richly coloured animal. General colour deep rufous, verging
on chestnut; flanks and limbs more fawn-coloured than in _N.
moschatus_. Top of tail darker than back, approaching black; its
underside white.
Skull with the posterior palate produced backwards about a quarter of
an inch behind the level of the back of the last molar.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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