CHAP. in. ELAND. 145 



There is only one species of eland, or elk, as the 

 Dutch colonists, with their talent for giving absurd 

 names, have erroneously called it, the Antilope Oreas; 

 but there are two varieties, the common and the striped ; 

 the latter, found exclusively in South Africa, and gra- 

 dually lessening in numbers, until in Central Africa it 

 entirely gives way to the former, while there is a neutral 

 ground inhabited by both, where, unless I am much mis- 

 taken, they interbreed. 



Dr. Schweinfurth 1 thus describes the variety inhabit- 

 ing the interior : " All the elands that I saw had 

 extremely short sleek hair of a bright yellow tan 

 colour, verging on the flanks to a light bay ; the 

 mane was black and erect, being about three inches long. 

 In every district through which I travelled I observed 

 their skin to be always marked in well-defined stripes, 

 which are not, as some travellers have supposed, to be 

 taken as indications of the youth of the animal. I 

 have seen full-grown specimens that were marked on 

 each side of the body with no less than fifteen parallel 

 stripes, about as wide as one's finger, of a pure white, 

 running from the black line of the back transversely 

 down to the middle of the belly, which is often marked 

 with a large black spot." 



With this description no fault can be found, though as 

 far as regards the stripes not being an indication of youth, 

 I consider it a somewhat doubtful point. I have myself 

 shot an eland without a vestige of a stripe, the young 

 calf of which was striped, and I know several such cases. 

 Personally I am inclined to agree with Dr. Schweinfurth 



1 Heart of Africa, p. 249. 

 K 



