Zoological Society. 145 



The following description of this interesting addition to the Fauna 

 of Southern Africa was appended to the above letter. 



Aigocerus niger. The Sable Antelope. 



Adult male four feet six inches high at the shoulder ; nearly nine 

 feet in extreme length. Horns thirty-seven inches over the curve, 

 placed immediately above the eyes, rather higher than occurs in the 

 Aigocerus Equina ; flat, slender, sub-erect, and then strongly bent 

 back similar- wise* ; at first gradually diverging, and then running 

 parallel to each other; three-fourths annulated with about thirty 

 strongly pronounced, incomplete rings, more rigid on the edges, but 

 chiefly broken on the outside of the horn ; the remaining one fourth 

 smooth, round, slender and pointed. Head somewhat attenuated 

 towards the muzzle, and compressed laterally. Carcase robust. 

 Withers elevated. Neck broad and flat. Hoofs black, obtuse, and 

 rather short. Hair close and smooth : general colour of the coat 

 intense glossy black, with an occasional cast of deep chestnut. A 

 dirty white streak commencing above each eye, continued by a pen- 

 cil of long hairs covering the place of the suborbital pouch, (of 

 which cavity no trace is to be found in this Antelope,) and then 

 running down the side of the nose to the muzzle, which is entirely 

 white ; the same colour pervading one half of the cheek, the chin 

 and the throat. Ears ten inches long, narrow, tapering and pointed ; 

 white within, lively chestnut without, with black pencilled tips. A 

 broad half crescent of deep chestnut at the base of each ear, behind. 

 A small, entire black muzzle. A copious standing black mane, 

 five and a half inches high, somewhat inclined forwards, and extend- 

 ing from between the ears to the middle of the back. Hair of the 

 throat and neck longer than that of the body. Belly, buttocks, and 

 inside of thighs, pure white. A longitudinal dusky white stripe be- 

 hind each arm. Fore legs jet black inside and out, with a tinge of 

 chestnut on and below the knees. Hind legs black, with a lively 

 chestnut patch on and below the hocks. Tail black; long hair 

 skirting the posterior edge, and terminating in a tuft which extends 

 below the hocks. Sheath tipped with black. 



Female smaller than the male, with smaller, but similarly shaped 

 horns. Colour, deep chestnut brown verging upon black. 



Very rare. Gregarious, in small families. Inhabits the great 

 mountain range which threads the more eastern parts of Mosele- 

 katse's territory. 



* Scimitar-wlse 1 



Ann, Nat. Hist, Vol 2. No. 8. CW, 1838. l 



