The Antelopes 



249 



Photo by W. P. 



[Regent's Park. 



BED-FRONTED GAZELLE. 

 Inhabits Dongola and Senaar. 



line of their advance, and causing considerable 

 anxiety to farmers, whose flocks of sheep 

 and goats are sometimes swept away by the 

 migrating springbucks. In former years the 

 migration of these antelopes in countless 

 thousands from the deserts of Namaqualand 

 to the countries farther south was a common 

 occurrence, an unerring instinct guiding the 

 wandering herds to districts where rain had 

 lately fallen and caused a new growth of 

 green grass. The animals composing these 

 migrating herds were called by the Dutch 

 settlers of the Cape Colony " Trekbokken," or 

 " travelling-bucks." 



Two other antelopes, the DIBATAG and 

 the GERENUK, are included in the present 

 group; but both, whilst typically gazelline 

 in certain respects, differ so much in other 

 ways from all members of that group that 

 each has been placed in a separate genus. 



The DIBATAG is a very remarkable- 

 looking antelope, only found in certain 



districts of Central Somaliland, where it was first discovered by Mr. T. W. H. Clarke in 1890. 

 This species shows the face-markings of the gazelles, whilst the horns, which are only present 

 in the males, much resemble in shape those of a reedbuck. They are rather short, attaining 

 a length of only 11 or 12 inches, and their basal halves are strongly ringed in front. 

 The neck of this antelope is singularly long and thin, and the tail, which is held curved 

 forwards over the back when the animal is in motion, is also much elongated, and only tufted 

 at the tip. The dibatag frequents sandy ground sparsely covered with low thorn-bushes, 

 and lives in small families, being usually met 

 with in twos or threes, whilst it is rare 

 to find more than four or five consorting 

 together. 



The GERENUK, like the last-named animal, 

 is an East African species, but has a 

 more extended range, being found all over 

 Somaliland, and thence southwards to the 

 Tana Valley and the Kilimanjaro district of 

 British East Africa. The most remarkable 

 external characteristic of this species is the 

 excessively long neck. The males alone 

 carry horns, which attain an average length 

 of 12 or 13 inches, and, though somewhat 

 gazelle-like in shape, are more strongly 

 crooked forwards at the points. The skull 

 of this species is more dense and solid in 

 structure than in the true gazelles, and the 

 cheek-teeth are smaller in size. 



Coming now to the Sable Antelope 

 group, we find an assemblage of antelopes 

 which are all of large size and handsome 

 appearance, and in all of which both the 



Photo by W. P. Dando] 



RED-FRONTED GAZELLE. 



Another view of the specimen shown above. 



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