MAMMALIA OF SOMALI LAND. 463 



towards the points. The horns are peculiar in the way they are 

 set on the head. The front edge of the horn, instead of directly 

 facing you when you look at the skull, appears on the inner side, so 

 that when taking a front view of the skull you really see almost a 

 complete side view of each horn. I hav r e not observed this in any 

 other antelope or gazelle. A peculiarity of the skull, characteristic 

 of this genus, is the excessive shortness of the nasal bones. They 

 are easily killed with No. 3 shot. If they get up out of range, and 

 the bushes are not too thick, you can often get a shot by running 

 after them, as after the first bait, they trot on, stopping at intervals. 

 They are almost always fouud in pairs, and appear to be of an affec- 

 tionate disposition, as if you shoot one, the other will often stop, reluc- 

 tant to leave its comrade, and let you get quite close up before it runs 

 away. I saw one accompanied by two young ones, so they appear to 

 produce two at a birth. They feed on the bushes, and no doubt eat 

 grass if they can get it. I don't think they drink. The meat is 

 said to taste of musk, but I never noticed this m} r self . 



I am not sure whether the Somali dik-dik is the same as the Abys- 

 sinian jyeotragus saltianus, or the East African Neotragus kirkii. The 

 difference between the two depending on certain dental and osteologi- 

 cal distinctions are not very apparent to the unlearned. They are 

 described in the P. Z. S., 1880, p. 17. The inner side of the 

 horns in JSf. saltianus are said (in P. Z. S., 1891, p. 212) to be 

 flattened along their inner side, and therefore triangular in section, 

 while those of iV. kirkii are rounded and therefore circular in section . 

 Applying this test to the horns I have, some are flat along the inner 

 side, while others are more or less rounded. 



Strepsiceros kudu. 



This antelope, in Somali Land at all events, is only found in the hills, 

 though in other parts of Africa, according to Mr. Selous's book, they 

 are found where there are no hills. The male is a handsome beast 

 standing as high as a sambar, say 13 ^ hands, with long spiral horns 

 something like those of a markor. In colour it is an iron grey with 

 three white stripes down its sides and one across the quarters. A 

 standing mane runs along the whole length of the back, the hair of 

 which is longest on the neck and withers, and is of a white colour va- 

 riegated with black. A long fringe of black and white hair clothes the 



