The book of antelopes, vol. 3 (of 4)Sclater, Philip Lutley
Science
The book of antelopes, vol. 3 (of 4)
Sclater, Philip Lutley
Antelopes
229 (1893); =Lugard=, E. Afr. i. p. 537
(1893); =Scl.= P. Z. S. 1893, p. 728 (L. Mweru); =Barkley=, P.
Z. S. 1894, p. 132 (Pungwue Valley); =Thos.= P. Z. S. 1894, p.
145 (Nyasa); =Jackson=, in Badm. Big Game Shooting, i. pp. 285 &
306 (1894); =Lorenz=, Ann. Mus. Wien, ix., Notizen, p. 61 (1894)
(Upper Limpopo); =Rendall=, P. Z. S. 1895, p. 359 (Transvaal).
“_Antilope pallah_, =Cuv.=,” =Gerv.= Dict. Sci. Nat. i. p. 261
(1840).
_Strepsiceros suara_, =Matsch.= SB. Ges. nat. Freund. 1892, p.
135 (skin, not horns).
_Æpyceros suara_, =Matsch.= Thierw. O.-Afr., Säug. p. 129 (1895).
_Æpyceros melampus johnstoni_, =Thos.= P. Z. S. 1892, p. 553
(Nyasa).
_Æpyceros melampus typicus_, =Thos.= l. c.
_Æpyceros melampus holubi_, =Lorenz=, Ann. Mus. Wien, ix.,
Notizen, p. 62 (1894) (“N. of Zambezi”).
VERNACULAR NAMES:--_Pallah_ of English; _Roodebok_ or _Roibok_
of Dutch; _Pala_ of Bechuanas; _Napala_ of Matabili; _Ee-pala_
of Makalakas; _Inzero_ of Masubias; _Umpara_ of Makubas;
_Lubondwee_ of Batongas; _Kug-ar_ of Masaras (_Selous_);
_Impaya_ of Transvaal Shangaans (_Rendall_); _Suare_ in Tette
(_Peters_); _Nswala_ of Nyasa tribes (_Crawshay_) and of
East-African _Swahilis_ (_Jackson_); _Kulungu_ and _Nosi_ near
Kilimanjaro (_Johnston_); _Om-gaba_ in Arabic (_Heuglin_).
Size comparatively large; height at the withers about 36 inches.
General colour bright reddish brown, paler along the lower part of the
sides. In southern specimens the colour is rather duller and browner
than in northern ones, but the difference is very slight. Head dark
fawn; a mark over the anterior half of the eye, chin, interramia,
and upper part of throat white. Belly pure white. In front of the
eye, on the side of the face, there is generally, though not always,
in southern specimens an indistinct darker patch, but this is never
present in northern ones. A black patch occasionally present on the
crown. Ears of medium length, their outer sides fawn, with the terminal
third black. Limbs like the back, a lighter ring round the pasterns
just above the hoofs; a pair of prominent black tufts of longer hairs
on the distal extremity of the hind cannon-bones (whence the name of
the species). Tail fairly long, its upperside with a narrow black
line along it, extending more or less on to the back, its sides fawn
basally, white terminally.
Skull as above described. The dimensions of a male skull are:--Basal
length 10·3 inches, greatest breadth 4·4, muzzle to orbit 6·1.
The horns are particularly graceful, lyrate, convex forwards below,
concave above, evenly spreading. In length, in the south, good
specimens may attain about 18 or 20 inches in a direct line, and in the
north more, up to about 21 or 22 inches, the largest recorded being
23. But in the intermediate districts, Nyasa, Zambesia, and Gazaland,
they are much shorter, fully adult horns being often only 14 inches in
length.
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