THE GAZELLES 



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Indian Gazelle 



or sublyrate horns. This well-known species inhabits the deserts of Egypt, Al- 

 geria, Syria, Palestine, and parts of Asia Minor. It stands barely twenty-four 

 inches at the shoulder, and the horns are relatively long and slender, with their tips 

 incurved, their length being sometimes a little over thirteen inches. L,ike most other 

 gazelles, this beautiful little animal is of extremely delicate build, and is remark- 

 able for its great speed. When running it appears to skim the ground like a bird, 

 and often takes leaps of a yard or more in height. Closely allied to this species is 

 the isabelline gazelle (G. isabellina) of Kordofan and Sennar, distinguished by the 

 tail being rufous, instead of black, above. Other species are the korin (G. rufi- 

 frons) of Senegal, Sundevall's gazelle (G. Icevipes) of Sennar, and the black-tailed 

 gazelle (G. tilonura) of Bogosland; the latter being characterized by its superior 

 size, reaching twenty-nine inches at the shoulder, and the horns varying from seven 

 to ten and three-fourths inches in length. 



The Indian gazelle (G. bennetti) brings us to a subgroup distin- 

 guished from the preceding by the horns not being distinctly lyrate, 

 but generally having a slight S-shaped curvature when seen from the side. The 

 general color of this well-known species the ravine-deer of Indian sportsmen is 

 light chestnut above, while the tail is blackish. In 

 height the buck stands twenty-six inches at the withers, 

 and the horns, which usually have fifteen or sixteen 

 rings, average ten to twelves inches in length along the 

 curve. This species inhabits the plains of Central and 

 Northwestern India, whence it extends through Balu- 

 chistan to Persia. It is commonly found in parties of 

 from two to six, although occasionally from ten to 

 twenty may be found together. Its swiftness is such 

 that it can but seldom be taken with dogs, but it does 

 not leap in the air like the dorcas. Mr. Blanford writes 

 that this gazelle "keeps much to waste ground, espe- 

 cially where that is broken up by ravines, but it is seldom 

 seen on alluvial plains, and it haunts cultivation less 

 than the [Indian] antelope. It is frequently found among 

 scattered bushes or thin tree jungle, and may be met 

 with on undulating ground even on the top of hills; it is 

 commonly found among sand hills, and is nowhere so SKUIJ< ov INDIAN GAZEU.E. 

 abundant as in parts of the Indian desert. It lives on 



grass and the leaves of bushes, and I believe never drinks, for it is common in tracts 

 where there is no water except from deep w r ells." Other members of this group 

 are the mountain gazelle (G. cuvieri) of Morocco and Algeria, which reaches a 

 height of twenty-seven and one-half inches; the small-horned gazelle (G. leptoceros) 

 of the Sudan; the well-known Arabian gazelle (G. arabica); and Speke's gazelle 

 ( G. spekei] of the plateau of Somaliland. The latter species is of very small size, 

 and remarkable for the loose flabby skin of the nose, and is further distinguished by 

 the length of its hair and dull coloration. The length of the horns ranges from 

 nine and one-half to eleven and one-half inches. 

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