244 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



fhttt by W. P. Dando] 



MOUNTAIN REEDBUCK 



One of a group of small antelopes still common in many parts of Africa 



two very nearly allied forms are found 

 in Senegal and Abyssinia respectively. 



In most species of duikers both 

 sexes are horned, but in the case of 

 the common duiker it is very excep- 

 tional to find a female with horns, 

 and in all my experience I have only 

 known of three such cases. 



The FOUR-HORNED ANTELOPE is 

 the Indian representative of the African 

 duikers, and is found along the foot 

 of the Himalaya from the Punjab to 

 Nepal, and in suitable localities through- 

 out the peninsula of India. It frequents 

 wooded hills, but avoids dense jungle. 

 Like its nearest allies, the duikers, it 

 is solitary in its habits, more than 

 two of these antelopes seldom being 

 seen together. The growth of four 

 horns on the skull of this antelope and 

 on certain breeds of domesticated sheep is a curious fact which has not roused as much comment 



as it deserves. 



THE KLIPSPRINGER 



Turning to the second sub-family, we may select the KLIPSPRINGER as the most characteristic 

 species to describe. This beautiful little animal, which is often called the African Chamois, is 

 found in suitable localities from the Cape to Abyssinia. In the southern and northern portions 

 of its range the klipspringer is an inhabitant only of rugged mountain-ranges, and ascends 

 to a height of 9,000 or 10,000 feet above sea-level. In the more central regions of its 

 habitat, however, although it always lives amongst rocks, and thoroughly justifies its name 

 of " rock-jumper," it is often found in regions where there are no high mountain-ranges. It 

 used to be very common in Matabililand, both in the Matopo Hills and on the isolated 

 granite kopjes which are so numerous 

 in that country, and usually are 

 not more than 200 or 300 feet in 

 height. In Mashonaland I have 

 found it living amongst granite rocks 

 in the beds of the larger rivers, and 

 actually on the same level as the 

 surrounding country; whereas on 

 Wedza, a great mountain-mass of 

 slate and ironstone, which rises to 

 a height of about 2,000 feet above 

 the surrounding country, and to the 

 top of which I once climbed, I did 

 not see any klipspringers. The hoofs 

 of this little animal are curiously 

 different from those of any other 

 African antelope, being remarkably 

 short and small, with very deep 



, ,, ,, . Photo by S. G. Patni, Ayltsbury, by firmission of thi Han. Walter Rothschild 



hollows. This adaptation to its re- 



quirements enables the klipspringer MALE IMPALA > OR PALLA 



to obtain a foothold On any Small The beautifully curbed born, of the male palla form i0 m, of the mo S t graceful of 



iropbtcs 



