NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



This antelope could, with advantage, be thor- 

 oughly domesticated and bred as a food animal. 



An adult ram in good condition weighs 70 to 80 lbs., 

 and measures about 30 inches at the shoulder. The 

 general colour of the fur on the back is bright 

 cinnamon or rufous-fawn, and the face, throat, 

 underparts and inner sides of the limbs are pure 

 white. A small patch of fawn is present between 

 the horns, and a streak of rich chestnut runs down 

 each side of the face from the eyes nearly to the 

 corners of the mouth. The rufous-fawn of the back 

 is separated from the white of the under parts by a 

 broad lateral stripe of deep chestnut-brown. From 

 the centre of the back to the tail is a fold or narrow 

 pouch which runs down to the root of the tail. 

 This is lined with long, snowy-white hairs. 



On a farm at Carlton in the Cape Province there 

 are several Springboks which are pure white, with 

 the exception of the streaks on the sides of the body 

 and face. These are light buff in colour. The 

 Port Elizabeth Museum possesses a good mounted 

 example of these albinos. Another specimen in the 

 Museum is snow white without any trace of brown 

 or buff. 



The female Springbok is horned. The lambs, at 

 birth, are yellowish-grey with the side stripes rather 

 inconspicuous. 



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