CHAPTER XVII 

 DUIKERS AND SMALL ANTELOPES 



Duikers 



Subfamily Cephalophina 



The duikers form a very compact group of small and 

 diminutive antelopes having short, straight horns project- 

 ing backward in line with the dorsal profile of the head. 

 The horns are quite straight and never exceed the head in 

 length. A character peculiar to the duikers, and one by 

 which they may always be recognized, is the linear arrange- 

 ment of the anteorbital pores which form a long line on the 

 sides of the snout in front of the eye. The duikers in gen- 

 eral build are quite compact, with rather short legs and 

 neck, low withers, and well-developed hind quarters. The 

 hoofs are normal in shape, but the false hoofs show con- 

 siderable specific variation in size. The tail is short but 

 not rudimentary and is either well haired throughout or 

 tufted. The female has four mammae. The skull has a 

 large anteorbital fossa, quite equalling the orbit in size. 

 The snout is of medium length with very broad triangular 

 nasal bones expanding laterally and roofing over the ante- 

 orbital fossa. Two generic groups are included, the typical 

 or forest duikers and the bush or plains duikers, the latter 

 being a recent offshoot which have forsaken the forest for 

 a life in open bush country on the edge of plains. The 



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