244 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



fhatt b} W, P. Dandt] 



MOUNTAIN REEDBUCK 



One of a group of small antelopes still common in many parts of Africa 



two very nearly allied forms are found 

 in Senegal and Abyssinia respectively. 



In most species of duikers both 

 sexes are horned, but in the case of 

 the common duiker it is very excep- 

 tional to find a female with horns, 

 and in all my experience I have only 

 known of three such cases. 



The FOUR-HORNED ANTELOPE is 

 the Indian representative of the African 

 duikers, and is found along the foot 

 of the Himalaya from the Punjab to 

 Nepal, and in suitable localities through- 

 out the peninsula of India. It frequents 

 wooded hills, but avoids dense jungle. 

 Like its nearest allies, the duikers, it 

 is solitary in its habits, more than 

 two of these antelopes seldom being 

 seen together. The growth of four 

 horns on the skull of this antelope and 

 on certain Lreeds of domesticated sheep is a curious fact which has not roused as much comment 



as it deserves. 



THE KLIPSPRINGER 



Turning to the second sub-family, we may select the KLIPSPRINGER as the most characteristic 

 species to describe. This beautiful little animal,' which is often called the African Chamois, is 

 found in suitable localities from the Cape to Abyssinia. In the southern and northern portions 

 of its range the klipspringer is an inhabitant only of rugged mountain-ranges, and ascends 

 to a height of 9,000 or 10,000 feet above sea-level. In the more central regions of its 

 habitat, however, although it always lives amongst rocks, and thoroughly justifies its name 

 of " rock-jumper," it is often found in regions where there are no high mountain-ranges. It 

 used to be very common in Matabililand, both in the Matopo Hills and on the isolated 

 granite kopjes which are so numerous 

 in that country, and usually arc 

 not more than 200 or 300 feet in 

 height. In Mashonaland I have 

 found it living amongst granite rocks 

 in the beds of the larger rivers, and 



actually on the same level as the 



") J 



surrounding country; whereas on 

 'Wedza, a great mountain-mass of 

 .'slate and ironstone, which rises to 



a height of about 2,000 feet above 

 ; the surrounding country, and to the 



top of which I once climbed, I did 



not see any klipspringers. The hoofs 



of this little animal are curiously 



different from those cf any other 



African antelope, being remarkably 



short and small, with very deep 



t ,. _, . ' Ph*to by S. G. Paynt, Aylisbur,, t, ftrmiaion of th, Hon. Waller Rothichild 



hollows. This adaptation to its re- 



,. V, ... MALE IMPALA, OR PALLA 



quirements enables the klipspringer 



to obtain a foothold on any small Tbe beaut 'f ull J curved borns f tbr m 



f orm *>< of the most graceful of 



