648 EXTINCT AND VANISHING MAMMALS 



On the other hand, Lydekker and Elaine (1914, vol. 2, p. 6) are 

 "unable to find any other testimony that this, or any other, harte- 

 beest inhabits south-western Asia." 



"No recent specimen has ever been studied from the alleged 

 eastern range of this form [in Asia]" (Ruxton and Schwarz, 1929, 

 p. 575). 



The last example disappeared from Palestine about 25 years ago 

 (Aharoni, 1930, p. 329). 



"A less common intruder from the Arabian deserts [than Oryx 

 leucoryx] is the Bubalis .... Both these species were probably 

 more common in the deserts of Transjordania and S. Palestine in 

 earlier periods." (Bodenheimer, 1935, p. 116.) 



"There is not one shred of evidence to show that the Bubal Harte- 

 beest ever existed out of Africa .... The one pair of horns, said 

 to have been obtained by Tristram from the Arabs of Syria, is not 

 sufficient evidence to go on. There is no record by any traveller, at 

 any date, in Syria or Arabia of this most unmistakable species." 

 (Carruthers, 1935, pp. 163-164.) 



There seem to be no game reserves within the recent range of this 

 species. It is completely protected in Africa under the London 

 Convention of 1933. 



Cape Red Hartebeest. Rooi Hartebeest (Boer) 



ALCELAPHUS CAAMA CAAMA (Cuvier) 



Antilope caama Cuvier, Diet. Sci. Nat., ed. 1, vol. 2, p. 242, 1804. ("Cap" 



Cape of Good Hope.) 

 FIGS.: Buffon, Hist. Nat., Suppl., vol. 6, pi. 15, 1782; Schreber, Saugthiere, 



vol. 5, pi. 277, 1787; Sclater and Thomas, 1894, vol. 1, pi. 4. 



Some of those who recognize the distinctness of the subspecies 

 caama and selbornei agree that the former is extinct; however, Capt. 

 G. C. Shortridge (in litt., 1936) regards caama as still represented 

 by a herd of about 55 animals on Moe's Farms at New Hanover in 

 Natal. 



According to Cuvier's type description (op. cit,, pp. 242-243), 

 the color is a fawn bay, browner on the back; a large black spot 

 about the base of the horns; a black band on the lower two-thirds 

 of the face ; a straight line on the neck, a stripe on each leg, and end 

 of tail black. In the female these markings are brown rather than 

 black, and the horns are a little smaller. 



Lydekker (1913d, p. 821) defines the present subspecies as fol- 

 lows: "General colour rich rufous-brown; face-blaze black and ex- 

 tending, with the exception of a narrow fawn band between the 

 eyes, from horns to muzzle; limb-markings plum-colour, and form- 

 ing a continuous stripe on front of fore-legs." There is very meager 



