VAUGHAN'S KOB 209 



Congo. I have not been in the eastern half of this district, but I infer 

 that the white-eared kob is not found there. Personally I never saw 

 in the western half of the province a herd or a single specimen of 

 leucotis, whereas the fox-coloured kob abounds everywhere near the 

 rivers. I was in this province from November to June, and during 

 that time did not notice any change in the colour of the fox-coloured 

 kob's coat. I saw a considerable number of leucotis (with the dis- 

 tinctive black-brown coloration) on the banks of the Bahr-el-Ghazal 

 north of the Meshra, and on the White Nile on my way down to 

 Khartum, and I should say the leucotis was found on both banks of 

 the river from Renk (say, lat. 11° N.) down as far, perhaps, as Meshra 

 (lat. 8.5° N.), but, unless possibly in rare instances, not south of Meshra. 

 In the western half of the Bahr-el-Ghazal I never saw a sign of leucotis^ 

 and am convinced it does not occur there. Within a month I saw 

 many herds of the fox-coloured kob south of Meshra, and leucotis in 

 the north, and I can positively state that the former is not leucotis in 

 either its winter or summer coat." 



From these notes there seems no doubt that Vaughan's kob is a 

 perfectly distinct species (or race), tending in some degree to connect 

 Buffon's kob with leucotis, although decidedly nearer to the latter than 

 to the former. All three species agree in having the direction of the 

 hair of the back reversed from the loins to the neck, and evidently 

 form a closely allied group, of which Cobus coba is the West African 

 representative. Of the three eastern forms, the Uganda red kob 

 (C coba thomasz) is clearly the least specialised ; then (in the intermediate 

 area) comes C. vaughani, with its white ears and face-markings ; and 

 then farther north C. leucotis, in which these markings are more 

 pronounced, and a dark coat is developed in the old bucks. The 

 gradation is of a most interesting nature. 



I have taken into consideration whether it would be advisable 

 to regard all these antelopes as local forms of a single species ; but 

 have arrived at the conclusion that, for the present at any rate, it is 

 preferable to allow them specific names. 



Examples of all may be seen in the British Museum (Natural 

 History), where, however, Vaughan's kob is now represented only 

 by a head. 



It may be added that C. vaugJiani has no trace of the white areas 

 on the lower part of the legs which are to be seen in leucotis, while 

 there is considerably more black on the hind-legs than in the Uganda 

 red kob. 



