698 EXTINCT AND VANISHING MAMMALS 



The Gemsbok is now distributed over the more arid districts of 

 southwestern Africa. Here it is still abundant in the Kalahari 

 Desert, "where, in default of water, it uses the juice of the t'sama 

 wild melon, which is diffusely spread over that otherwise waterless 

 zone. Consequently, until some years ago, when the motor car 

 arrived in this remote region, the Gemsbuck had a natural reserve 

 in which its only enemies were the wandering bushmen and other 

 nomads, and an occasional Lion. Now, however, all is changed, and 

 cars can penetrate right into its remotest fastnesses. . . . The 

 Gemsbuck is, therefore, rapidly decreasing, and though still existing 

 in large numbers, it is not to be expected that outside the sanctuaries 

 which are eventually to be established in the Union of South Africa 

 and South-west Africa, the species will survive very long." (Steven- 

 son Hamilton, in Maydon, 1932, p. 344.) 



In northern South-West Africa and the neighboring parts of 

 Angola the subspecies blainei is found, but the limits of its inter- 

 gradation with the typical race do not seem as yet to have; been 

 precisely defined. Shortridge (1934, vol. 2, p. 561) writes that 

 "Gemsbok are the most widely distributed of the larger antelope in 

 South -West Africa, with the possible exception of the Kudu: they 

 occur very sparsely in some districts, however, and are retreating 

 before European settlement. Gemsbok have been recorded from 

 every part of South-West Africa except the Caprivi, east of the 

 Okavango." Detailed reports by districts are given for the region, 

 indicating its varying abundance, though on the whole they appear 

 to be in most parts plentiful. In Angola they are restricted to the 

 southwestern part, not extending north of the Coporollo River 

 (Elaine), and according to Statham (quoted by Shortridge), they 

 are "said to be confined to the coastal zone of scrub and desert 

 northwards to within 50 miles of Benguella, and also near the 

 Chitanda (Coluhi)-Cunene Junction and other parts south of 16 

 degrees latitude." They avoid the neighborhood of the sea and keep 

 to the plains of the interior. They are very keen-sighted and will 

 detect the slightest movement behind any but dense cover (Elaine) . 

 They may often be found in company of Springbok, Wildebeest, 

 or Roan. 



G. M. A. 



Blaauwbok; Blue-buck 



HlPPOTRAGUS LEUCOPHAEUS (Pallas) 



Antilope leucophaea Pallas, Misc. Zool., p. 4, 1766. ("Promontoria bonae 

 Spei"; the entire range of the species was said by Le Vaillant (1790, 

 vol. 1, p. 82) to be comprised in the valley of Soete-Melk, Swellendam 

 district, C'ape Colony.) 



