480 AFRICAN GAME ANIMALS 



During his explorations in British East Africa in 1893 

 Chanler secured the type specimen of the species which 

 now bears his name. The type specimen was shot on the 

 slopes of the Jombene Range, northeast of Mount Kenia in 

 the Tana River drainage area. Upon its arrival in London 

 at Rowland Ward's establishment, it was recognized as a 

 new antelope and described by the Hon. Walter Rothschild 

 before being sent to the United States National Museum. 



These delicate and graceful kinsfolk of the reedbuck 

 were found among the stony hills and small mountains in 

 many parts of East Africa. Usually we found the does and 

 fawns in couples or small parties, and the bucks singly. 

 They were shy and elusive, but not wary in the sense that 

 the bigger antelopes were wary. They lived on the steep 

 slopes, among rocks and bush, and fed on the grass, the hill 

 plants, and the leaves and twig tops of certain of the 

 shrubs, and if frightened fled in frantic haste to the thickest 

 cover, on the roughest ground. When alarmed a buck will 

 occasionally utter a sharp whistle to warn its companions. 



The East African race differs but little from the typical 

 race of South Africa. It is distinguishable by its lighter 

 and grayer color, showing little of the reddish tint seen in 

 true fulvorufula; and also by the smaller body size and 

 shorter horns. The dark streak on the snout which was 

 used by the original describer as a character is a variable 

 feature. In a series of twelve skins from British East 

 Africa in the National Museum only six show a dark nose 

 stripe, and in only two of these is it well marked. Oscar 

 Neumann described the Abyssinian race as new in 1902, 

 basing his difference principally upon the absence of the 

 dark streak on the snout in his specimens from Lake Abaya, 

 Abyssinia. This, however, has been shown to be a character 

 of no value in chanleri. Specimens from Abyssinia examined 

 at the British Museum showed no color or skull differences 

 from British East African specimens by which they could be 

 distinguished. 



