May 1897. East African Collection of Mammals — Elliot. 135 



ascends to the heights on which he loves to dwell. They may 

 "meet by chance," but I fancy the Lesser Koodoo would have 

 no especial desire to prolong the acquaintance. 



A bull Koodoo will stand about 13 hands high and the horns 

 measure sometimes as much as 60 inches along the curve. These 

 however belong to South African individuals which seem to have 

 larger horns than their Somali brethren. Those of the latter 

 country rarely exceed 50 inches on the curve and 3 feet high, /. e.y 

 from base to tip. The largest we procured were 38 inches highl- 

 and 49 along the curve. In Somali-land this fine animal is found ir^ 

 the Golis Range and the Gadabursi hills, and some also are to be 

 met with in the mountains near the Erar river in Ogaden near 

 the Abyssinian boundary. It is becoming scarce in Somali-land, 

 as many are killed every year, and it will not be long before this 

 fine antelope will have disappeared from that portion of East 

 Africa. In South Africa this species is still quite numerous in 

 the mountains in the vicinity of Delagoa Bay, and as that is one 

 of the worst fever districts perhaps to be met with on the conti- 

 nent, the Koodoo may be found there after the race has disap- 

 peared from more healthy localities. A fine head of a big Koo- 

 doo bull is a great trophy for a sportsman and all desire to 

 possess one, but it is a question whether even to obtain so 

 coveted an object, it is worth while to endanger one's life, for the 

 African fever is something that one can get on just as happily 

 without even if he never obtains any knowledge of it. In cer- 

 tain parts of South Africa such as the country around the Zam- 

 beri river, the Big Koodoo does not confine itself to the hills^ 

 but is found in the thick bush along the banks of the streams,, 

 and in the thorn jungles where these are abundant, in this respect 

 being very different in its habits as practised in Somali-land where^ 

 as I have said, it is almost entirely an inhabitant of the moun- 

 tains and lofty hills. It seems to be a very restless animal, and 

 wanders a great deal, traveling from one portion of a range to 

 another, and I have known them to leave the Golis entirely and 

 go upon the Haud, as one time three individuals were met with 

 by my party some ten or fifteen miles beyond the Hand's north- 

 ern boundary, where there were no hills, merely a comparatively 

 flat plain covered by low thorn trees and bushes. They seemed 

 out of place in such a situation, and evidently felt that way them- 

 selves, for on being surprised started away in the direction of 

 the distant mountains at the best pace of which they were capa- 

 ble. The color of old bulls is a beautiful blue gra}', that of the 



