STEINBOK 181 



THE STEINBOK 

 (R/iaphiceros campestris *) 



Steinbok, CAPE DUTCH ; Ingetna, ZULU, SWAZI, AND MATABILI ; 

 Ipurupuru, BECHUANA ; Ipuluplidi, TRANSVAAL BASUTO 



(PLATE vi, fig. 1 1 ) 



The absence of the lateral hoofs coupled with the uniformly 

 coloured coat of the upper-parts serves to distinguish the steinbok from 

 each of the two preceding species. The general colour of the coat on 

 the upper-parts is reddish fawn or sandy rufous in the typical race, 

 tending more or less to brown in some individuals and silvery grey in 

 others, with a crescentic black mark on the crown of the head, and the 

 face rather brighter in tint than the rest of the coat. The undqr-parts 

 are whitish, with a faint tinge of buff. The height is about 22 inches. 

 The horns do not usually average more than about 4 inches, but there 

 is a well-authenticated record of 6 inches, while one pair is stated by 

 its owner to be still longer. 



The typical race of the steinbok ranges over the greater part of 

 Africa south of the Cuneni and Zambesi rivers. In the north-eastern 

 Transvaal it is represented by a local race RliapJiiceros campestris 

 capricornis? which comes nearer to the under-mentioned Nyasa race 

 than to the typical Cape form. Indeed, it differs from the Nyasa race 

 merely by certain features in the skull, and apparently by the retention 

 of faint traces in does of the dark horse-shoe mark on the head. 



North of the Zambesi the Nyasa race (R. c. neumanni*} is dis- 

 tinguished from the typical Cape steinbok by the absence of the dark 

 crescentic mark on the crown of the head, the paler general colour, 

 and the greater extent of the white face-markings. The eyes, for 

 instance, are completely ringed with white, the lips are white, and there 

 is a greater extent and purity of the white on the chin, throat, and 

 limbs. The skull also is slightly larger. 



Writing some years ago of his experiences of this antelope, Mr. 

 Vaughan Kirby observed that 



1 Made the type of the genus Kototragus by Messrs. Thomas and Schwann, Abstmcts Prof. 

 Zoo!. Society, 1906, p. 10. 



- Described in Prof. Zool. -S\v. 1906, p. 584, by Messrs. Thomas and Schwann as a race 

 of K. neiintaiini. 



3 Described by Dr. P. Matschie in SittHtigs-Beritkte Ges. Nat ut for. Berlin, 1894, p. 122, 

 as Pediott-agus neinnaniii. 



