1 



THE ELAND 



(Oreas canna) 



THE Eland is one of a very distinct group of Antelopes known as the 

 Tragelaphine section, characterised as a rule by twisted horns, angular 

 in section, which are smooth or nearly so, and by the presence in 

 most cases of distinct white markings on some part or other of the 

 coat. None of them are very small, and the Eland itself is by far 

 -the largest of all Antelopes, a large bull reaching six feet at the 

 shoulder, or even more at times, and making a Buffalo seem small 

 by comparison. 



The cow is considerably smaller and lighter in make, and the 

 bull does not attain his full bulk and characteristic peculiarities for 

 some years, since he may attain his mature height before he assumes 

 the mat of long hair on the face and the immense fatty thickening 

 of the upper part of the neck, which mark the perfectly adult bull, 

 and are never found in the cows and young males. Old animals, 

 especially bulls, lose so much of their coats that the dark skin shows 

 through and gives them a grey appearance. 



The horns are not of great length, those of the bull being about 

 two and a half feet long, while the cow's, which are slenderer, will be 

 about a couple of inches longer. 



The Eland has a wide range over South Africa, and shows a good 

 deal of local variation. The southern or Cape Eland is a plain light- 

 brown animal, without any white marking ; but as one proceeds north- 

 wards this race gradually passes into the striped variety, which is 

 known as Livingstone's Eland, having been first discovered and 

 characterised by the great missionary explorer. In this the sides are 

 noticeably marked with several thin white stripes, most distinct in 

 the females and calves, and there is a well-defined black patch on 



the inner side of the fore-leg above the knee. Females and young 

 n. 49 G 



