70 NATURAL HISTORY ESSAYS 



Statements concerning the ndzoodzoo being so 

 wonderfully paralleled by our knowledge of similar 

 facts concerning the roan antelope, surely remove 

 the matter out of the domain of mere coincidence : 

 and assuming that the two horns of the antelope 

 had in the distance appeared as one (the animal 

 having been seen sideways), we are driven to the 

 conclusion that the ndzoodzoo of Makooa is 

 identical with the roan antelope. The finishing 

 touch to the matter is given when we remember 

 that Makooa is the country between Lake Nyasa 

 and the Mozambique Coast — a well-known haunt 

 of the roan antelope. 



The East African roan differs but little from 

 the southern form, and may be dismissed without 

 further notice. The West African phase of 

 Hippotragus equmus is the handsomest subspecies 

 of all, as will be seen from the following descrip- 

 tion of a fine female of this variety which was 

 living in the Antwerp Zoological gardens in 1900: 

 " Face black, with a small greyish area above the 

 muzzle : anteocular stripe white, postocular pale 

 brownish-white. Iris black-brown. Ears chest- 

 nut externally, and thickly lined internally with 

 long fine dirty-white hairs. General body colour 

 splendid warm rufous paling into white on 

 abdomen and buttocks. Mane, tail and anterior 

 surface of legs blackish-brown." This variety is 

 now known as Hippoh'agus equinus gambianus in 



