THE SABLE ANTELOPE 271 



Wami river, in German East Africa, Mr. Jackson 

 tells us they are fairly plentiful. 



Thanks to the care and skill of Mr. Selous, some 

 very fine stuffed specimens of this beautiful creature 

 are to be found in the Natural History Museum at 

 South Kensington. Male examples, purchased in 

 1861 and 1873, existed for a time in the Kegent's 

 Park Gardens. The late Lord Derby had in his 

 Knowsley collection South African elands, which 

 became the progenitors of the stock now thriving 

 in the Regent's Park Gardens, but I fear, from what 

 I have seen of the sable in captivity, these antelopes 

 are too fierce and intractable to be successfully reared 

 in confinement. For a long period there were no 

 living specimens imported into England. Two years 

 since, however, when the new giraffe was secured by 

 the Zoological Society, a pair of half-grown sable 

 antelopes were also purchased from the consignor. 

 These young antelopes, notwithstanding the long 

 voyage, were in splendid condition and coat, and 

 throve excellently for some time. The female, 

 although shy and nervous, is still doing well and 

 flourishing ; but the male, now approaching the 

 adult period, has developed a most fierce and in- 

 tractable temper. While inspecting this antelope, 

 I moved to the front of its box to have a look at 

 the handsome buck. The beast no sooner saw me 

 than he advanced full tilt and drove his horns hard 



