THE ANTELOPES 



249 



Photo by W. P. Dando] 



RED-FRONTED GAZELLE 



Inhabits Dongola and Scnaar 



line of their advance, and causingconsiderable 



anxiety to farmers, whose flocks of sheep 



and goats are sometimes swept away by the 



migrating springbucks. In former years the 



migration of these antelopes in countless 



thousands from the deserts of Namaqualand 



to the countries farther south was a common 



occurrence, an unerring instinct guiding the 



wandering herds to districts where rain had 



lately fallen and caused a new growth of 



green grass. The animals composing these 



migrating herds were called by the Dutch 



settlers of the Cape Colony " Trekbokken," 



or " travelling-bucks." 



Two other antelopes, the DIBATAG and 



the GERENUK, are included in the present 



group ; but both, whilst typically gazelline 



in certain respects, differ so much in other 



ways from all members of that group that 



each has been placed in a separate genus. 

 The DlBATAG is a very remarkable- 

 looking antelope, only found in certain 



districts of Central Somaliland, where it was first discovered by Mr. T. W. H. Clarke in 1890. 



This species shows the face-markings of the gazelles, whilst the horns, which are only present 



in the males, much resemble in shape those of a reedbuck. They are rather short, attaining 



a length of only II or 12 inches, and their basal halves are strongly ringed in front. 



The neck of this antelope is singularly long and thin, and the tail, which is held curved 



forwards over the back when the animal is in motion, is also much elongated, and only tufted 



at the tip. The dibatag frequents sandy ground sparsely covered with low thorn-bushes, 



and lives in small families, being usually met 

 with in twos or threes, whilst it is rare 

 to find more than four or five consorting 

 together. 



The GERENUK, like the last-named animal, 

 is an East African species, but has a more 

 extended range, being found all over Somali- 

 land, and thence southwards to the Tana 

 Valley and the Kilimanjaro district of British 

 East Africa. The most remarkable external 

 characteristic of this species is the exces- 

 sively long neck. The males alone carry 

 horns, which attain an average length of 

 12 or 13 inches, and, though somewhat 

 gazelle-like in shape, are more strongly 

 crooked forwards at the points. The skull 

 of this species is more dense and solid in 

 structure than in the true gazelles, and the 

 cheek-teeth are smaller in size. 



Coming now to the Sable Antelope 

 group, we find an assemblage of antelopes 

 which are all of large size and handsome 

 appearance, and in all of which both the 



Photo by IF. P. Dando'] 



RED-FRONTED GAZELLE 



Another -v't-w of the specimen shown abo-va 

 32 



[Rtgtnt's Par 



