ORDER ARTIODACTYLA I EVEN-TOED UNGULATES 721 



Females are said to be hornless but similar to the males in color 

 (Lydekker, 1911, p. 349). 



The Mountain Nyala was made known to science as late as 1910, 

 on the basis of a specimen secured by Ivor Buxton. It is evidently 

 limited to the Abyssinian Highland District of Bowen (1933, pp. 

 256, 260). 



"Fairly plentiful in the Arusi mountains fifty miles s. e. of Addis 

 Ababa in a district bounded by Lake Zwai, both banks of the Webbi 

 Shabeila river, and Hawash railway station. A mountainous country, 

 running to 12,000 feet or more, forest and tree heath. They are 

 harried by natives undoubtedly, but they are outside the zone of 

 many Europeans and all motor-cars. No fear of extinction in 1925." 

 (Maydon, 1933, p. 738.) 



Several herds were seen and several specimens were shot on 

 Chelalo Mountain, south of Lake Zwai. Others were obtained near 

 Lajo, south of the Webbi River. (Maydon, 1932, pp. 223-225.) 



Sanford and LeGendre (1930, pp. 161-166) found the species on 

 Ansha and Kaka Mountains and report the taking of over a dozen 

 specimens by their party. 



W. H. Osgood (in litt. } April 21, 1933) contributes the following 

 account: 



"The Mountain Nyala . . . has an exceedingly limited distribu- 

 tion in the higher mountains of southern Abyssinia. It is probably 

 existing in all the mountains exceeding 9000 feet in height in the 

 province of Arussi and on a few of those in the provinces of Bale and 

 Sidamo. These are mainly the Chilalo Mountains, Mount Gugu, 

 Mount Kaka, and the Gedeb Mountains. They are included in an 

 area scarcely more than one hundred miles square, a large part of 

 which is unsuitable for the nyala. . . . 



"Because it is so largely forest-inhabiting, accurate estimates of 

 its numbers are not possible. It seems hardly probable that there are 

 more than a few thousand animals living and it may be that there are 

 only hundreds. It is shy and difficult to hunt and some expeditions 

 into its range have failed to secure it, so it is evident it cannot be 

 very abundant. . . . 



"The Abyssinians doubtless kill a few nyala each year, and the 

 extent to which they have reduced other game shows what they 

 might do in this case if it were not that the higher parts of the 

 mountains are uninhabited. It is unlikely that any effective regula- 

 tions could be carried out to control killing by the natives. They 

 are remote from central authority and given to independent action. 

 Many of them have guns of very poor quality and condition, but 

 they are often good hunters. 

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