THE SABLE ANTELOPE 1 39 



From its splendid appearance and noble dignified 

 carriage the sable antelope is always a desirable 

 addition to a zoological garden. The calves are 

 born in August, September, and October : ridden 

 down by a well-mounted hunter they are frequently 

 taken alive, and having learnt to suck milk from a 

 bottle, become interesting though inquisitive pets. 

 The young bull that used to frequent the laager at 

 Salisbury during the Mashonaland rebellion of 

 1896, was said to be very friendly to white men 

 though not to black. The present species was first 

 exhibited in the London Zoological Gardens in 1861 

 when a male, purchased on September 17th of that 

 year, was received in the collection: on July 17th, 

 1873, a second example — also a male — was pur- 

 chased for the Gardens. The latter of these animals 

 probably contributed to the entertainment of many 

 a children's party ; for having been photographed 

 it appeared in a series of popular magic lantern 

 slides illustrating life at the Zoo. It also served a 

 more serious purpose, being afterwards employed 

 with other animal photographs to direct attention to 

 the serious waste of animal life in Africa.^ A 

 pair of sable, purchased for the Zoological 

 Gardens on February 26th, 1895 (together with 

 a pair of blue wildebeest and a giraffe) re- 



1 Rensliaw: "The A'aiiisliin^- Afru-aii Fauna." Lecture Ifefore the 

 Selboriie Society, 1S99. The sal)le was sliowii witli tlie head down as if 

 feeding; ; it carried ;i well-jj;nnvii pair of lioriis, and its ;;iossy black coat 

 well indicated the splendid condition in which it was kept. 



