May 1897. East African Collection of Mammals — Elliot. 119 



Gazella pelzelni (Kohl). 



Gazella pelzelni. Pelzeln's gazelle. Native name Dcro. 



a.-d. $ ad. Durban. 



e.-g. 9 ad. Durban. 

 k. 9 juv. Durban. 

 /. 9 ad. Betteran. 

 ///. • $ ad. Deregodleh. 

 //. 9 ad. Hullier. 



This is the gazelle of the lowlands and is not often seen much 

 beyond Laferug on the road to Hargeisa, where the following 

 species begins to make its appearance. It is the larger animal 

 of the two, and they resemble each other very much in their 

 habits. Pelzeln's gazelle frequents dry and stony places, covered 

 with low bushes, and it is difficult to see where or how it can 

 obtain sufficient nourishment from the barren, forbidding districts 

 it inhabits. It goes in small troupes of from two or three to 

 nearly a dozen individuals. I think eleven was the greatest 

 number I ever saw together at one time. As a rule, it is not a 

 wild creature and readily permits an approach sufficiently near to 

 ensure a fatal shot, but of course when much hunted becomes 

 wild and wary. The males were often seen by themselves, and 

 then it was not difficult to stalk them. Their horns are almost 

 straight and annulated nearly to the tips. The female also carries 

 horns, much straighter and much more slender than those of the 

 male. There is considerable variation in the coloring of indi- 

 viduals and I hardly know what causes it. The typical style has 

 a broad conspicuous chestnut band running lengthwise along the 

 bod}' just above the white of the bell)^ But some individuals, 

 evidently of equal age, killed practically at the same time and in 

 the same condition of coat, were entirely without this distinguish- 

 ing mark. It may be possibly an exhibition of individual varia- 

 tion, for these specimens were not confined to any especial 

 locality. I do not think, however, it was in any way an indica- 

 tion of age, for fully adult animals were without the stripe, neither 

 was this peculiarity confined to either sex. 



The skull of this species is rather deep through in comparison 

 with its length. The nasals are rounded on top and bend slightly 

 downwards at tip. They are also very broad and of about equal 

 width throughout their entire length. The occipital region curves 

 sharply downwards and is about on a line with the facial region; 

 interparietal welldefined, its length being nearlyone-third its width; 

 paroccipital process broad, laterally compressed, curving inward 



