300 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1923 



THE ANTELOPES 



Asia and Africa are the present-day homes of a great group of 

 bovine animals known as the antelopes. In Africa, especially, this 

 group offers the most astonishing diversity and the species range in 

 size from the tiny dik-dik to the giant eland. There are brilliantly 

 colored forest species and plain colored desert forms; solitary species 

 and others which graze in great herds. Frequently these herds are 

 composed of animals representing a number of distinct genera. The 

 true antelopes, like the cattle, have hollow horns which grow and are 

 retained throughout life — as opposed to the solid, deciduous antlers 

 of the members of the deer family. 



Among the African antelopes in the park are the great, gentlefaced 

 East African eland {Taurotragus oryx livingstonii) , first presented 

 by the Duke of Bedford, and now regularly breeding; the sable ante- 

 lope (Egocerus nigcr), with his long, bowed horns, and the beautiful 

 blesbok {Damaliscus albifrons), both of South Africa; the lech we 

 (Onotragus leche), related to the water buck; the rather spectacular 

 and very noisy wildebeest or white-tailed gnu {C onnochcetes gnon), 

 and his much rarer relative, the brindled gnu (0. taurinus). With 

 the exception of the elands, which have large paddocks to the north 

 of the elephants, all of these African species are kept in the antelope 

 house, where such as need them have heated quarters in winter and 

 all have pleasant yards for summer range. 



The Asiatic antelopes shown include the fine, -large species known 

 as the nilgai (Boselaphus tra.gocamelus) and the small black buck 

 (Antilope cervicapra). Both of these species are restricted to pen- 

 insular India. The females of each are without horns and differ 

 markedly in color from the males. The black bucks thrive in the 

 National Zoological Park in outdoor paddocks with unhealed shelter, 

 and both species regularly breed. 



The American antelope or pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) 

 belongs to a separate family. It was formerly abundant on the west- 

 ern plains, but is now found in only a few scattered localities. This 

 animal differs considerably from the true antelopes. The horns are 

 shed annually, only the bony core persisting throughout life. The 

 pronghorn is especially hard to keep in eastern zoological gardens 

 and specimens are not always on exhibition in Washington. It is a 

 matter of great satisfaction that one example was kept in the park 

 for so long a period as five years. 



GOATS AND SHEEP 



Goats and sheep are native to many sections of the northern parts 

 of both hemispheres, and many and diverse wild species are known. 

 They are closely related, and forms of each have long been domesti- 

 cated and bred along lines of most utility. 



