THE ANTELOPES AND GAZELLES 151 



poor eating, not to be compared with that of the 

 eland, koodoo, or even the roan antelope. 



A suitable weapon for sable and, indeed, for all 

 the larger antelopes would be a .400 or .450 modern 

 rifle, using smokeless powder and soft-nosed or 

 hollow - pointed bullets. The .303, or even the 

 smaller Mannlicher bullet, is, however, if a good shot 

 is made, quite as efficient in laying low a sable or a 

 koodoo as a red-deer stag. 



The Roan Antelope (Hippotragus equinus\ a near 

 relative of the sable, is an even bigger beast than 

 that fine quadruped. A good bull will stand as 

 much as 4 feet 9 inches at the shoulder, while the 

 cow measures 2 or 3 inches less. Although a grand 

 antelope, exceeding its handsome cousin slightly in 

 stature, the roan antelope lacks the picturesque beauty 

 of the sable. Its colour, a grizzled roan, or reddish 

 grey, is not so striking, while the horns fall far short 

 in extreme length. The roan antelope's horns 

 measure in good specimens from 27 to 31 inches, 

 and occasionally reach as much as 35 inches. The 

 record pair thus far measure 37^ inches. They are 

 in the possession of Mr. P. Niedieck, and were 

 obtained in the heart of Africa, on the White Nile. 

 The coat of this antelope varies much in different 

 localities and even in members of the same troop. 

 Greyish, grizzled brown is the predominant colour, 

 ranging from a pale grey to rufous, and even a dark 

 brown, sometimes approaching black. The space 

 round the mouth and muzzle, a strip in front of the 

 eye, and a patch behind the eye are white. The ears 



