138 NATURAL HISTORY ESSAYS 



Dr. J. E. Gray, who named it after the Princess 

 Beatrice, born in that year. This " type " specimen 

 was a male, being the survivor of a pair which had 

 been sent from Bombay by " Capt. John Shepherd 

 of the India House" as a gift to the Zoological 

 Society. Dr. Gray surmised that although shipped 

 from India the antelope had probably been " brought 

 from the shores of the Red Sea." The new animal 

 was at first supposed to be a half-grown gemsbok 

 a pardonable mistake when one remembers the pale 

 colouration of gemsbok calves. On its death soon 

 afterwards the animal was obtained for the National 

 Collection, where it still remains. 



Nothing more appears to have been heard of 

 this smart little oryx, accounted a curiosity even 

 in its native land, until in November, 1864, 

 Major O. B. St. John and Col. Pelly, when visiting 

 the Imaum of Muscat at his country house, were 

 shown a " wild cow" kept in an adjoining yard. 

 This animal an adult female beatrix was at once 

 presented to Col. Pelly, who sent it to the Botanical 

 Gardens at Poonah ; it was said to have come from 

 a district situated a week's camel ride over the 

 mountains. In 1869-70 Col. Pelly obtained a pair 

 of beatrix for the late Mr. Gwyn Jefferies, F.R.S. 

 They were so tame as to be allowed to go about free, 

 and lived for some time at the Colonel's country 

 house near Bushire. The male was accidentally 

 killed ; he was not, however, a good specimen, having 



