202 



NA TURE 



[April 14, 1910 



ii., p. 348, the head of the Kain gazelle differs by its 

 larger (ii^ inches) and more fully ringed horns, the number 

 of rings in this specimen being sixteen, and also by their 

 less distinctly S-shaped curvature in profile, and rather 

 more sublyrate form when seen from in front. In the 

 general contour of the horns, the characters of the face- 

 markings, the very tall ears, and the large bodily size, 

 this gazelle comes, indeed, very close to the edmi, and 

 in all these respects differs from the goitred gazelle <G. 

 subguttnrosa) of western Persia, as it also does by the 

 smaller extent of the white area on the buttocks, which 

 does not reach up to the root of the tail, but is restricted 

 to the inner sides of the thighs. In this latter feature, 

 shown in a mounted specimen, the Kain gazelle agrees 

 with the Indian G. bennetti, from which it differs by its 

 superior size (shoulder-height of a fully adult buck prob- 

 ably about 28 inches), larger ears, and more distinctly 

 sublyrate and slightly incurving horns. 



In the second notice I compared the Kain gazelle with 

 the Yarkand gazelle (which I regard as specifically distinct 

 from the goitred species), and named it G. yarcandensis 

 kennioni, not being then aware that it differed by the 

 presence of horns in the female and the smaller amount of 

 white on the buttocks. The name kennioni would stand 

 as a specific title were it not that in the Proceedings of 

 the Zoological Society for 1873, p. 317, Dr. Blanford 

 described a horned female gazelle from Jalk, on the 

 Baluchi border of eastern Persia, as a new species under 

 the name of G. fuscifrons. In a paper published in the 

 same volume, p. 545, this species was recognised as valid 

 by the late Sir Victor Brooke, who particularly referred to 

 the large size of its ears as a distinctive feature, especially 

 as compared to subguttnrosa. Later on, however, Dr. 

 Blanford, in the " Fauna of British India " (where Jalk 

 is stated to be in Baluchistan, although in "Eastern 

 Persia," he had rightly referred to it as forming the 

 southern edge of the Seistan desert), identified fuscifrons 

 with bennetti, on the ground that a male obtained by Sir 

 O. St. John appeared inseparable from the latter. From 

 the fact, however, that the Kain district, which is the 

 northern continuation of the Seistan desert, is the home of 

 a large gazelle allied to feenne/it in the presence of horns 

 in the female and the small extent of the white area on 

 the rump, but with larger ears and rather more sublyrate 

 horns, there can be no doubt that this gazelle is no other 

 than fuscifrons, which must be re-established as a species. 

 Gazella yarcandensis kennioni therefore becomes G. fusci- 

 frons, although Kennion's gazelle may be retained as the 

 English name. 



This being so, it is doubtful whether the Indian G. 

 bennetti really occurs in Persia at all. In " Eastern 

 Persia " Dr. Blanford stated that he obtained a male refer- 

 able to that species from the Bampur district of eastern 

 Persia (alluded to as being in Baluchistan), which differed 

 from Indian examples only in some details of the horns, 

 adding that he believed this gazelle to extend on the low- 

 lands to the head of the Persian Gulf, while above the 

 3000-foot contour it was replaced by the goitred gazelle, 

 distinguishable, even at a distance, by its lighter colour. 

 From the new evidence it appears that the lowland gazelle 

 of the Persian Gulf is fuscifrons rather than bennetti. 



The second of the Seistan gazelles is represented by an 

 adult male standing about 39 inches at the shoulder, and 

 characterised by the great size of the ears, the marked in- 

 curving of the tips of the sublyrate horns, and the small 

 extent of the white area on the rump, which does not 

 reach the root of the tail. In most of these features this 

 species resembles the Yarkand gazelle, as it also does in 

 the absence of horns in the female, although it differs by 

 the small extent of the white on the rump, which in the 

 Yarkand species (plate v. of Blanford's " Mammals of the 

 Second Yarkand Mission ") is very large and ascends high 

 up on each side of the root of the tail. This gazelle greatly 

 exceeds subguttnrosa in size, as well as in the much larger 

 ears, less divergent horns, and the smaller white rump- 

 patch, but resembles that species in that the male has a 

 " goitre." Taking the mounted specimen in the museum 

 as the type, it may be known as the Seistan gazelle, G. 

 seistanica. 



The foregoing species collectively indicate a transition 

 from the edmi and bennetti type on the one hand, to 

 that of the goitred gazelle on the other, as is indicated in 

 NO. 21 II, VOL. 83] 



the case of some of the Asiatic species by the followin 

 table : — 



(a) Females horned ; no goitre ; tips of horns not dis 

 tinctly inturned ; rump-patch small. 



(i) Indian gazelle — G. bennetti. 

 Height about 25 or 26 inches ; ears moderate ; no inturn- 

 ing of horn-tips. 



(2) Kennion's gazelle — G. fuscifrons. 



Larger, height probably about 28 inches ; ears Ionfi< r ; 

 horn-tips slightly inturned. 



(a') Females (except marica) hornless ; a goitre ; tips of 

 horns distinctly inturned. 



(b) Rump-patch small ; face-markings distinct. 



(3) Seistan gazelle — G. seistanica. 

 Very large; height about 29 inches; ears very long;, 



horns sublyrate. 



(b') Rump-patch large. 



(c) Face-markings ; horns sublyrate ; colour dark. 



(4) Saikik, or Yarkand gazelle — G. yarcandensis. 

 About the size of last, but ears apparently shorter. 

 (c') Face-markings nearly obsolete ; horns divergent ;■ 



colour in winter very pale. 



(5) Goitred gazelle — G. subguttnrosa. 



Size small, 24 to 26 inches ; ears short ; females horn- 

 less ; dark lateral band faint. 



(6) Marica gazelle — G. marica. 



Ears taller ; females horned ; dark lateral band distinct. 



The African edmi, and probably the Syrian Merrill's 

 gazelle, come in the first group. The Mongolian G. guttu- 

 rosa is a larger member of the last group, distinguished 

 by the small size and peculiar form of the horns of the 

 bucks, which do not diverge after the fashion of suh- 

 guttnrosa. ' The Central Asia C. przewalskii is another 

 allied type. 



Certain immature gazelles from Eastern Persia now 

 exhibited in the Zoological Society's Gardens as G. sub- 

 guttnrosa are apparently G. fuscifrons. 



R. Lydekker. 



BOURNES, OR INTERMITTENT SPRINGS. 

 INTERMITTENT streams break out in our chalk 

 -"- valleys when there has been a partial return to the 

 conditions of rainfall prevailing during the period of the 

 excavation of the valleys. The effect of a heavy rainfall 

 is not seen immediately. A bourne may, indeed, break 

 out during a temporary drought following. Its immediate 

 cause is the rise of the saturation-level until it intersects 

 the bottom of the valley. The water then rises out of the 

 ground, and flows until the curve of saturation sinks by 

 reason of the relief afforded by the flow. While still 

 rising, the bourne will make its appearance at successive 

 points higher and higher up the valley. 



These bournes afford a valuable clue to the method of 

 formation of dry chalk valleys. Given a period of greater 

 rainfall, and the permanent rise of the saturation-level 

 would give a permanent stream, with considerable powers 

 of excavation. Flints lining the bed of the Croydon Bourne 

 are covered with a calcareous incrustation, so that solution 

 and corrasion would both do work in the formation of the 

 valley. 



The earliest record of the Cro3'don and other bournes 

 has been traced bv Mr. Baldwin Latham to Warkworth's 

 " Chronicle," which shows that in 1473 " womere watere 

 ranne hugely." Bournes rose at St. Albans, Lewisham, 

 and Canterbury, as well as at Croydon. In Leland's 

 " Itinerary " reference is made to a bourne at Drelingore. 

 near Dover, and this was also flowing in 1904, the year of 

 the last great flow of the Croydon Bourne. In Yorkshire, 

 the vipsies or gipseys are apparently similar to bournes. 

 " Nailbourne " is a name formerly given to them in Kent, 

 or, with a corruption of the spelling, " Eylebourn." 

 " Wellesbourne " and " Winterbourne " are also met with. 

 The Hertfordshire Bourne, which has again been active 

 this year, was formerly known as the Wenmer, or Womer. 

 This is referred to by Camden as breaking out near 

 Watling Street. Childrey (1661) says that it is popularly 

 believed that it never " breaketh out but it foretelleth 

 dearth and scarcity of corn, or else some extraordinary 

 dangerous times shortly to ensue." This, indeed, was a 

 very customary superstition in connection with all these 



