154 IJOVITATES ZoOI.nOICAE XXl. 1914. 



ON GAZELLA ALBONOTATA ROTHSCniLD AND ITS 



AFFINITIES. 



By Dr. EINAR LONNBERG, F.M.Z.S., Etc. 



(Plate VI^). 



SOME time ago the Royal Natural History Musenm in Stockholm received from 

 Mr. John Wibom a female Gazelle, which he had obtained during a shooting 

 trip to the Sudan at the begmning of 1913. This specimen has a very interesting 

 appearance, and is especially distingnisheil by a large white frontal spot, which 

 broadly divides the central dark facial band down the face to a little below the 

 anterior corner of the eyes. This feature reminds one of Ga.-ella alhonotata 

 Eothsch., described in TonYafes Zoolo(/icae 1903*; bnt' as the short description of 

 this animal is based on a head and a skull of a bnck only, and the measurements 

 of the latter have not been published, it was at first difficult to ascertain whether 

 Mr. Wibom's Gazelle belonged to the same race or not. I therefore asked the 

 Hon. Walter Rothschild about the skull measurements of the type of Gnrella 

 alhonotata, and he was kind enough to send me the mounted head and the skull of 

 the same for comparison. 1 am greatly indebted to Mr. Rothschild for the loan 

 of I he above, with the aid of which I have been able to prepare the following notes. 

 Taking into consideration that the animals are of opposite sex, it will be 

 evident, from the following notes, that the skull of the type of Gazella alhoiiotatn 

 is very similar to that of Mr. Wibom's Gazelle, and that both must belong to the 

 same .species. The latter, being that of a female, is, of course, somewhat smaller, 

 especially as regards the measurements in connection with the stronger develop- 

 ment of the horns of the buck and tiieir supporting elements. The bony cores are 

 also somewhat more upright in the buck, aud slant farther backwards in the doe. 

 But these are only se.xual differences. The flat nasal region, the almost quite straight 

 premaxilliaries, and other facial parts show a great likeness. A difference which 

 must be noted is, that the female skull has no lachrymal vacuities, while in the 

 male the vacuities have a length of 21-24 mm., and at parts a breadth of more 

 than 3J mm. The absence of the vacuities is, however, a female characteristic 

 which 1 have observed in does of Ga.-ella tkomsoiii, which belong to the same 

 group. The groove in the anterior palate is deeper, with its edges more raised, in 

 the buck than in the doe. Otherwise the differences are not very important. The 

 measurements of the two skulls are as follows : 



