The book of antelopes, vol. 3 (of 4)Sclater, Philip Lutley
Science
The book of antelopes, vol. 3 (of 4)
Sclater, Philip Lutley
Antelopes
“It is with great respect and diffidence that I object to the
Dorcas being described (see P. Z. S. 1894, p. 467) as ‘the
common Gazelle of the Algerian Sahara generally,’ for the Dorcas
is not met with in the Sahara proper, so far as I can learn,
and in the Eastern Algerian Sahara at least is not to be found
south of lat. 33°. The Dorcas in the Eastern Province and in
Tunisia is the common Gazelle of the plains immediately south
of the Aures Range, which form a sort of transitional zone
between the mountains and the Sahara proper. Roughly speaking,
this Gazelle is confined to a belt of country not more than 120
or 150 miles wide (and generally very much narrower). It may
be found in plains, or even in low hills, within the southern
mountain-chains, and on or near some of the sand-dunes on
the confines of the Chotts. I have frequently seen it in the
neighbourhood of the Chotts, but once into the Oued Souf and
sand desert and all trace of it is lost and the Rhime takes its
place. In the district of Sef el Menadi, where I have been twice
with Sir E. G. Loder, and where he secured the first specimen
of the Gazelle (the Rhime) which now bears his name, we found
both Rhime and Dorcas on the same ground; and this place may be
marked as the most northern limit which the Rhime ever inhabits,
as it never leaves the sand, I think, whilst the Dorcas does not
go much further south than this. Probably there are several of
these isolated islands of sand where the Rhime may be found.
“The best male Dorcas that I have shot had horns a little over
31 cm. in length, the best female 25 cm. (measured along the
curve).
“They vary a good deal in colour according to the ground they
frequent, and there is a slight variety among members of
the same band. In 1893 there was on the plain of Aïn Naga a
pure white one, no doubt an albino; but though my hunter had
frequently seen it, he was never able to find it for me.”
Passing on to the Beylik of Tunis, we have excellent notes on the
Gazelles of this country drawn up by Mr. Joseph I. S. Whitaker, F.Z.S.,
published in the same volume of the Zoological Society’s ‘Proceedings.’
Mr. Whitaker writes of this Gazelle as follows:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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