May 1897. East African Collection of Mammals — Elliot. 127 



when startled drops its head on a level with the body and sneaks 

 off among the bushes, in a very different manner from the gallant 

 way in which the Dibatag removes himself from the object of his 

 fears. 



The Gerenuk goes in small troupes of from three to eight or 

 ten individuals, and is found usually on rocky ground broken 

 with ravines and covered more or less densely with bushes and 

 trees. It is a browsing animal, and is often found in localities 

 Avhere grass is partly or wholly absent. It has great curiosity, 

 which failing is often fatal to its safety, and when it sees an 

 unusual object, a hunter for instance, will stand and gaze steadily 

 for some moments without moving. If one is not near enough 

 for a shot, these are trying moments to a hunter, who is obliged 

 to remain absolutely rigid until the Gerenuk commences to feed 

 or is satisfied there is no danger, otherwise at the slightest motion 

 the head is ducked behind the bush and the animal sneaks away. 

 As a rule, however, it does not go far, and I never saw a Ger- 

 enuk that I could not eventuall)^ secure, if I determined to have 

 it. It was only a question of a little time and patience, and an 

 approach to a fair shooting distance could be gained. I consider 

 the Gerenuk as rather a stupid animal, certainly it does not seem to 

 possess the wariness, watchfulness and general ability to take 

 care of itself which are common attributes of all other species of 

 gazelle. The meat is poor, being like the flesh of all other game 

 animals in Somali-land, without a particle of fat, and consequently 

 dr}^ and tasteless. Only a few of the natives will eat it, as they 

 consider it looks too much like a camel, and have certain super- 

 stitions regarding it. The males carry rather handsome Ija-ate 

 horns, the largest measuring something over 14 inches along the 

 curve. The females are hornless. The Gerenuk is never seen 

 on the treeless plains, such as are met with on the Hand, at least 

 I have never observed them in such places, but I have found them 

 on barren, rock}^ hillsides and summits, the valleys between 

 which, however, were covered b}' a thorn forest. In such cases 

 the animals were probabl}^ merely passing from one valley to 

 another. The usual gait of this antelope is a slouching trot, with 

 the head and neck carried very low, level with the body, but 

 when really frightened it gallops with considerable speed, stop- 

 ping, however, at intervals to look back at the object of its alarm, 

 and if at such times the hunter is concealed the Gerenuk soon 

 forgets its fear and commences to feed or walk slowly along. The 

 male of this species stands about 4 feet 6 inches high, a consid- 

 erable portion of which is due to the long neck. 



