The Antelopes 



247 



At the present day the saiga is only found in Europe on the plains between the Don 

 and the Volga, but to the east of the Ural Kiver its range extends over the Kirghiz Steppes 

 and the high plains of all Western Siberia. Living in open country, and having the senses of 

 hearing, sight, and scent all highly developed, the saiga is a difficult animal to approach, and 

 can only be successfully stalked by an expert hunter. In summer it is usually met with in 

 small, scattered bands, which, when driven southwards by snow and cold, are collected into 

 considerable herds in the more southerly portions of its range. In very severe winters whole 

 herds have been known to perish in snow-drifts, and in such inclement seasons large numbers 

 are also killed by the natives. The flesh of the saiga is said to resemble mutton, and is held 

 in much esteem. 



THE G-AZELLES. 



We now come to the Gazelles, among which are comprised many of the best known 

 and most beautiful of the small or medium-sized antelopes. In the true gazelles both sexes 

 generally carry horns. Indeed, this rule is universal in those of Africa and Arabia ; and there 



By permission of fferr Carl Hagenbeck] 



GOITEED GAZELLES PROM MESOPOTAMIA. 



These animals are inhabitants of rocky and desert ground. They are often kept tame by the wandering Arabs. 



[Hamburg. 



are only four species known all Asiatic in which the females are hornless: viz. the TIBETAN 

 GAZELLE, PREJEVALSKI'S G-AZELLE, the MONGOLIAN GAZELLE, and the PERSIAN GAZELLE. 



The range of the various species belonging to this large group is very extensive, comprising 

 the whole of Northern and Eastern Africa, Arabia, and Western and Central Asia, as well as 

 Mongolia and India. The gazelles are inhabitants of the open plains and arid desert regions 

 of the Old World, and, although sometimes met with in tracts of country where there is a 

 certain amount of scattered bush or open stunted forest, are never found in any kind of jungle 

 or thick cover. 



On the sandy plains of North-western Africa are found the BED-FRONTED GAZELLE of 

 Senegal and Gambia ; the little-known MHORR GAZELLE of South-western Morocco ; and the 

 DAMA GAZELLE, a species which has been known to naturalists ever since the time of Buffon. 

 A near ally of the last-named animal is the EED-NECKED GAZELLE of Dongola and Senaar. In 

 North-eastern Africa are found the large and handsome SOEMMERRING'S G-AZELLE; the ISABELLA 

 GAZELLE, of the coastlands of the Eed Sea ; HEUGLIN'S GAZELLE ; PELZELN'S GAZELLE, of the 

 maritime plains of Northern Somaliland ; and SPEKE'S GAZELLE, of the interior of the same 

 country; whilst farther south the group is represented by the large and beautiful GRANT'S 



