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XVII. Description of a new Species of Antelope. By Capt. W. C. Harris, (Bombay 
Engineers,) in a Letter addressed to the Secretary. 
Communicated January 9th, 1838. 
Sir, Cape Town, South Africa, Oct. 10, 1837. 
IT BEG the favour of your presenting to the Zoological Society the accompanying 
drawing and description of an entirely new and very interesting species of Antelope, 
which I discovered in the course of an expedition to the interior of Africa, from which 
I have lately returned. A perfect specimen that I brought down has been admirably 
set up by Monsieur Verreaux, the French naturalist at Cape Town, and will be sent to 
London in the course of a few days, to the care of Dr. Andrew Smith. It would appear 
to belong to the sub-genus Aigocerus, and in form, as well as in other respects, bears 
remote resemblance to the Aigocerus Equina, (Roan Antelope or Bastard Gemsbok,) 
with which it has been confounded by many persons imperfectly acquainted with the 
subject to whom it has been exhibited. A comparison of the two animals will, however, 
render the existing difference between them too obvious to demand any observation 
from me. 
During nearly three months that I hunted over the country lying between the 24th 
and 26th parallels of south latitude, within 28° and 30° east longitude, I only once met 
with the Antelope in question. On the northern side of the Cashan range of moun- 
tains, about a degree and a half south of the tropic of Capricorn, I found a herd, con- 
sisting of nine does and two bucks, and followed them until I captured the specimen 
from which the enclosed drawing was made. 
None of the natives of the country were familiar with the appearance of the animal 
when first interrogated on the subject, although after conferring amongst themselves, 
they agreed that it was Kodkame, (Oryx Capensis,) the Gemsbok ; and, of the many 
individuals to whom it has been shown, a trader named Robert Scoon is the only one 
by whom it has been recognized. He declares that he saw a herd of them some years 
ago near the very spot I have described, but could not succeed in killing one. It is, 
doubtless, very rare ; and, judging from the formation of the foot, entirely confined to 
the mountains. 
The females are somewhat smaller than the males, are provided with shorter and 
slighter, but similarly shaped horns, and are similarly marked ; a deep chestnut brown, 
verging upon black, taking the place of the glossy black coat of the male. I did not 
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