EXTINCT AND VANISHING MAMMALS 



Philby found traces of it everywhere, and in addition he collected much in- 

 formation from very reliable nature [= native?] sources as to its habitat. I 

 say "under certain conditions," for at the time of Philby's visit [1932] all the 

 Oryx of that wide region traversed by him on his journey from Jabrin through 

 the Rub al Khali and back to Wadi Dawasir, had migrated owing to the 

 prolonged drought, and had left the district. They had probably moved 

 down to the Najran country. But, broadly speaking, we may say that the 

 whole of the western half of the Rub al Khali is Oryx country in normal sea- 

 sons. We have no up-to-date information as to how far they extend east- 

 wards towards Oman. 



The sand-beds are the refuge of the Oryx for more reasons than one. Besides 

 being a vast and safe retreat, unoccupied by man, they are also the main 

 source of their food supply and of the moisture they need. 



Cape Gemsbok; Gemsbuck 



ORYX GAZELLA GAZELLA (Linnaeus) 



Capra gazella Linnaeus, Systema Nat., ed. 10, vol. 1, p. 69, 1758. ("India" t= 



Cape of Good Hope.) 



SYNONYM: Oryx aschenborni Strand (1924). 

 FIGS.: Shortridge, 1934, vol. 2, pis. facing pp. 560, 564; Sclater and Thomas, 



1899, vol. 4, pi. 83 (col.); Maydon, 1932, pis. 25, 122, 132; Pocock, 1937, 



p. 667, fig. 



Angolan Gemsbok 



ORYX GAZELLA BLAINEI W. Rothschild 



Oryx gazella blainei W. Rothschild, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 9, vol. 8, p. 209, 

 Aug. 1921. (Angola, 20 miles inland from Elephant Bay.) 



In general resembling the East African Oryx, this is a paler animal 

 with straight and slightly diverging stout horns, tapering to a rapier 

 point. It stands about 46 inches high at the shoulder. Of a general 

 fawn gray, the head has a rich brown mark in the center of the 

 muzzle connecting anteriorly with a similarly colored band from 

 eye to mouth, and extending back under the jaw to meet a similar 

 mark at the angle of the jaw, thus leaving the end of the muzzle and 

 two stripes on the side of the face white. Neck with a short, for- 

 wardly directed mane. A brown line runs along the lower side of 

 the neck from the chin, forking on the chest to send a long black 

 band down each side of the flanks to the upper hind leg. Tail 

 reaching well below hocks, ending in a long black tassel. Both sexes 

 with horns, those of the female slightly longer and more slender than 

 in the male. Head and body, 6 feet 3.5 inches; tail, 16 inches, with 

 its terminal tuft 27 inches; average length of horns, about 36 inches, 

 the longest record given by Rowland Ward 48 inches on the outer 

 curve for the typical race; 40f inches for the Angolan race. The 

 latter is characterized by its paler and grayer ground color, with an 

 absence of a buffy suffusion, and a shorter, narrower posterior black 



