THE ELAND 



in the east. A few individuals are preserved on 

 farms in various parts of the Union. 



Efforts should be made to domesticate and breed 

 this large antelope as a food animal, as its flesh is 

 one of the best of game meats. 



The Eland varies in its colour-markings more or 

 less like most other species of animals that have 

 an extensive range. For instance, the Eland of 

 the south is dun-coloured and unstriped ; but 

 northwards its coat becomes richer in hue, and the 

 body is marked with white lines. The various local 

 races into which Elands are divided for convenience 

 merge so closely one into another that it is a matter 

 of considerable difficulty to divide them. 



The typical Tace(Taurotragus oryx typicus), which 

 in former times ranged from the Cape to the 

 northern zoological boundary, viz. the Zambesi, 

 is uniform dun colour without transverse white 

 body-stripes or a dark brown band above the knees. 



Up towards the Zambesi the Eland is striped 

 with narrow but clear transverse white lines on the 

 body ; and a blackish patch is present on the back 

 of each fore-leg above the knee in adult bulls. To 

 distinguish these Elands from the unmarked southern 

 ones we call them the Zambesi race (Taurotragus 

 oryx livings tonii). This race extends beyond the 

 Zambesi into the heart of Africa and towards the 

 east. 



In East Africa we have another local race (Tauro- 

 tragus oryx patersonianus) which does not occur 



'35 



