The book of antelopes, vol. 4 (of 4)Sclater, Philip Lutley
Science
The book of antelopes, vol. 4 (of 4)
Sclater, Philip Lutley
Antelopes
with a most convulsive-looking movement. I took a very hasty shot,
and had the satisfaction of seeing the animal tumble over with a
big splash in the water. It turned out, unfortunately, to be a
doe, full-grown, with a young one at foot. I had shot my first
Nakon, and I solemnly affirm it will certainly be my last, except
under much more favourable circumstances. An attempt to bring out
the carcase that night being utterly useless, two Makobas slept on
the small island, and I myself turned back to the village, where I
arrived long after midnight, and, although completely done up with
fatigue, could not sleep a wink, owing to the myriads of
mosquitoes which preyed on me the whole night long.”
From Lake Ngami the little animal thus captured was carried by Mr.
Nicolls and his companions in their waggon 800 miles to Kimberley, and
thence brought by rail and steamer to London. On arrival at the Gardens
it was placed in a sheltered compartment of the Gazelles’ sheds, in
which the yard in front was covered with dried peat-fibre in order
to suit its elongated hoofs. Accompanying the Secretary’s Report on
the additions to the Society’s Menagerie in October 1890, in which
its arrival was noticed, will be found a coloured plate by Mr. Smit,
giving an accurate representation of the animal as it then appeared.
The Sitatunga thus acquired quickly attained its full stature, and
showing symptoms of readiness to breed, was placed, in 1894, in company
with a male of the Congo species (_L. gratus_) which had been
obtained by purchase from the Zoological Gardens, Hamburg, no male of
its own species being available. From this union hybrids were born on
February 12th, 1896, and on February 28th, 1897, being in each case
of the female sex. The period of gestation was, in both cases, about
seven months. The young animals in general appearance took after the
colour of the female of _L. gratus_, being of a generally bright
red colour with white lateral stripes and white spots on the haunches.
Such a young one is well represented, along with its mother, in the
background of our Plate XCIV. In June 1899 the Society were fortunate
enough to obtain a fine adult male example of this Antelope from the
Right Honourable Cecil J. Rhodes’s Park at Groot Schuur, near Capetown,
from which the principal figure in our Plate XCIV. has been taken. Mr.
Rhodes kindly accepted in exchange for it one of the female hybrids
above mentioned. The Society have therefore at present a unique pair
of this scarce and beautiful Antelope in the Collection, besides the
female hybrid born in 1896.
The specimens in the National Collection referable to this form
of the Sitatunga comprise two pairs of horns from the Chobé River
(_Selous_), one pair of young horns from Lake Ngami (_J. A.
Green_), the skin of an adult from the Zambesi (_Chapman_), and
a pair of horns from Lake Mweru (_Crawshay_).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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