XIV BEAUTIFUL ANTELOPE 299 



sylvaticus or scriptus). Two of these specimens are 

 now in the collection of the British Museum, in a 

 very good state of preservation. 



This lovely little creature is not only in itself one 

 of the most beautiful of South African antelopes, but 

 is of considerable interest from a scientific point of 

 view, as it forms a connecting link between the dark- 

 coloured bushbuck of the Cape Colony [Tragelaphus 

 sylvaticus) and the smaller but more beautifully- 

 marked harnessed antelope (Jiragelaphus scriptus) of 

 North- Western Africa. As, between the Chobe 

 bushbuck and the Cape bushbuck, many intermediate 

 forms occur in different localities, more or less striped 

 and spotted, some specimens of which I laid before 

 the Zoological Society on June 21, 1881, I think it 

 only reasonable to suppose that intermediate stages 

 might also be found between the bushbuck found on 

 the Chobe and the harnessed antelope, and have little 

 doubt that further investigation will show that the 

 Cape bushbuck and the harnessed antelope are 

 specifically identical, and merely local varieties of 

 the same animal. In October I returned to my 

 waggons at Daka, very much disgusted at my want 

 of luck with the elephants. However, I determined 

 not to give up the game yet, but, instead of going 

 out, as usual, to spend the unhealthy season in the 

 uplands of the Matabele country, to cross the 

 Zambesi and seek fresh hunting-grounds in the 

 unknown countries to the north of that river. 



With this intention I sent my waggons out to 

 Tati in charge of Miller, and keeping four donkeys 

 to carry my baggage, and my Basuto servant FVanz 

 to look after them, was ready to start on my journey 

 of discovery towards the end of the month, just as 

 the rainy season was commencing. 



