206 ANTELOPES 



THE WHITE-EARED KOB 



(Cobus leucotis] 



Kala, NIAM-NIAM ; Til, SIIOALI AND DINKA ; Kul AND 

 Wuil, DjENG ; Hamaraia dyl, SUDANI 



(PLATE vii, fig. 4) 



Of somewhat inferior dimensions and of lighter build than Mrs. 

 Gray's kob, the old bucks of the present species have the same blackish 

 brown livery and light-coloured ears and face-markings. The yellow 

 patch in front of the withers of Cobus maria is, however, wanting, and 

 the light areas on the head are more extensive and wholly white. The 

 white of the ear is, for instance, continued forwards to the base of 

 the horn from which it descends to form a large area round the eye, 

 which is separated by only a comparatively narrow dark bridge from 

 the white of the muzzle. The latter area, which is larger than in 

 maria, is continued along the under surface of the lower jaw to form 

 an extensive white patch on the upper part of the throat. The under- 

 parts and portions of the inner and front surfaces of the limbs are 

 likewise white. Another difference between the two species is that 

 along the dorsal line the direction of the hair in the white-eared kob 

 is reversed (that is to say, inclined forwards instead of backwards) from 

 the loins in place of only from the middle of the back. Young males, 

 like females of all ages, are of the usual chestnut or foxy red. The 

 horns of the bucks are stouter and shorter, with a more simple lyrate 

 curvature, than those of Mrs. Gray's kob, the record length of specimens 

 definitely known to belong to this species being 23^ inches. The 

 shoulder-height is about 34 or 35 inches. 



The range of the white-eared kob covers much the same area as 

 that of maria, namely, the swamps of the White Nile, Sobat, Bahr-el- 

 Ghazal, etc., but extends somewhat farther south, so as to embrace a 

 portion of the Niam-Niam country. 



From the examination of a large series of specimens, it seems that 

 the young bucks, so far as the head and neck are concerned, are wholly 

 chestnut-red, with the exception of two patches of white on the throat, 

 which are so common among antelopes, and are evidently for the 

 purpose of counteracting the effect of the dark shade thrown in strong 

 sunlight on the under- parts. The first indication of the adult 

 colouring is shown by the appearance of a small streak of black on 



