34° UNGULATA 



large lachrymal vacuity, and the premaxillse reaching the very long 

 nasals. Tail long, with a ridge of hair above, and slightly tufted 

 at the end. Colour uniform. Six species, African. 



The Antelopes of this genus are water -loving animals, the 

 Water-buck (C. ellipsiprymnus) and the Singsing (C. defassus) being- 

 well-known examples. Both these species are much alike, standing 

 as much as 4 feet 6 inches at the withers. The Water-buck of 

 South and Eastern Africa is characterised by the coarseness of 

 its long hair ; while in the Singsing of West and Central Africa 

 the hair is remarkably fine and soft. Fossil Antelopes from the 

 Pliocene of India are referred to Cobus. Helicophora, from the 

 Lower Pliocene of Attica, is regarded as allied to Cobus, but it has 

 no distinct supraorbital pits. 



Cervicapra. 1 — An allied South African genus in which the tail is 

 short and bushy and the premaxillae do not reach the nasals. Three 

 species. 



The Reitbok (C. arundineum) is of a grizzly ochre colour ; it 

 stands nearly 3 feet in height, and has horns about 1 foot in 

 length. The Nagor (C. redunai) is about 6 inches shorter, with 

 horns of half the length, and fulvous brown above and white 

 below ; the West African C. bohor being rather larger. 



Antilopine Section. — A large group of moderate - sized or 

 small Antelopes, most abundant in the deserts bordering the 

 Palsearctic, Oriental, and Ethiopian regions. Horns generally 

 compressed and lyrate, or recurved, or cylindrical and spiral, 

 ringed at base, sometimes present in both sexes. Skull with large 

 pits at apertures of supraorbital foramina of frontals, and generally 

 a distinct lachrymal fossa. Molars of upper jaw narrow, without 

 inner accessory column, and resembling those of the Sheep and 

 Goats. Tail moderate, compressed, hairy above. 



Antilope. 2 — Horns, present only in the male, long, cylindrical, 

 subspiral, and diverging. Suborbital gland large, with a somewhat 

 linear opening ; lachrymal depression of skull very large, and a 

 small lachrymal fissure. Glands in the feet ; lateral hoofs present. 

 One species, India. 



The well-known Black-buck (A. cervicapra) is found on open 

 plains all over India, except in lower Bengal and Malabar. Old 

 males are deep blackish-brown in colour on the back and sides and 

 the outer surfaces of the limbs, the under parts and inner surfaces 

 of the limbs white, and the back of the head, nape, and neck 

 yellowish. Young males and females are fawn-coloured above. 

 Very large herds are seen in the plains about Dehli and Mattra, 

 which are said in some instances to reach to thousands. Horn- 

 cores are found in the Pleistocene deposits of the valley of the 



1 De Blainville, Bull. Soc. Philom. 1816, p. 75. Syri. Eleotragus. 

 - Pallas, Spicilegia Zoologica, vol. i. p. 3 (1767). 



