THE ANTELOPES 



247 



At the present day the saiga is only found in Europe on the plains between the Don 

 and the Volga, but to the east of the Ural River its range extends over the Kirghiz Steppes 

 and the high plains of all Western Siberia. Living in open country, and having the senses of 

 hearing, sight, and scent all highly developed, the saiga is a difficult animal to approach, and 

 can only be successfully stalked by an expert hunter. In summer it is usually met with in 

 small, scattered bands, which, when driven southwards by snow and cold, are collected into 

 considerable herds in the more southerly portions of its range. In very severe winters whole 

 herds have been known to perish in snow-drifts, and in such inclement seasons large numbers 

 are also killed by the natives. The flesh of the saiga is said to resemble mutton, and is held 

 in much esteem. 



THE GAZELLES 



We now come to the Gazelles, among which are comprised many of the best known 

 and most beautiful of the small or medium-sized antelopes. In the true gazelles both sexes 

 generally carry horns. Indeed, this rule is universal in those of Africa and Arabia ; and there 



By firmissim of Htrr Carl Hag 



[Hamburg 



GOITRED GAZELLES FROM MESOPOTAMIA 



7* animal* art inhabitants of rocky and dcxrt ground. They arc often kept tame hy the -wandering Arab* 



are only four species known all Asiatic in which the females are hornless : wr. the TIBETAN 

 GAZELLE, PREJEVALSKI'S GAZELLE, the MONGOLIAN GAZELLE, and the PERSIAN GAM 



The range of the various species belonging to this large group is very extensive, compr, 

 the whole of Northern and Eastern Africa, Arabia, and Western and Central Asia, as 

 Mongolia and India. The gazelles are inhabitants of the open plains and arid de 

 of the Old World, and, although sometimes met with in tracts of country whcr 

 certain amount of scattered bush or open stunted forest, are never found in any 1 



" '"on thTldy plains of North-western Africa are found the RED-FRONTED GAZELLE of 

 Senegal and Gambia; the little-known MHORR GAZELLE of South-western Mo o 

 DAM! GAZELLE, a species which has been known to naturalists ever smcc bo. 



A near ally of the last-named animal is the RED-NECKED GAZELLE *^*ul 

 North-ea/ern Africa are found the large and handsome So^g^^^^ 

 GAZELLE, of the coastlands of the Red Sea; ^<% of the'nterior of the same 

 maritime plains of Northern Somahland ; and t large and beautiful GRANT'S 



country; whilst farther south the group is represented 



