294 



UNGULATES. 



Grant's Gazelle. 



a large area in Central Asia, extending as far the Gobi Desert. This species has 

 lyrate horns, with incurved tips, which may have from sixteen to twenty-five rings ; 

 and the tail is not surrounded by a white disc. The longest pair of horns known 

 measure 14^ inches. In Mongolia, this species is replaced by the larger Mongolian 

 gazelle (G. gutturosa), characterised by its extremely pale-coloured horns. The 

 third member of the group is the goa or Tibetan gazelle (G. picticaudata), dis- 

 tinguished by the white disc round the tail, the long winter-coat, short ears and 

 tail, the greatly curved horns, and the uniform colour of the face. The height 

 of the animal is 24 inches; and the largest recorded horns measured 15| inches 

 in length ; the number of rings varying from twenty to thirty. This gazelle 

 inhabits the Tibetan plateau at elevations of from 13,000 to 18,000 feet, and goes 

 in small parties of from two or three to a dozen. It is less shy than other species. 

 The last group of the true gazelles is characterised by the white 

 of the rump extending forwards in an angle into the fawn-colour of 

 the haunches ; both sexes having horns, which are frequently longer than in the 

 other groups ; the animals themselves being also relatively large. Perhaps the 

 handsomest member of the whole genus is the East African Grant's gazelle {G. 

 granti), from the Kilima-Njaro district and the neighbourhood of Zanzibar, of which 

 the head is figured in the woodcut on p. 290. 



Grant's gazelle has longer and finer horns than any other species of the genus ; 

 their length being frequently as much as 26 inches, while in one instance a length 

 of 30 inches has been recorded. The general colour of the upper part of the body 

 is fawn, and there is no dark band on the flanks dividing the 

 fawn-colour from the white of the under-parts. On the neck 

 and back the hair has a kind of wavy appearance, somewhat 

 like the pattern on watered silk. This gazelle is common on the 

 open plains of East Africa, and is generally found in small 

 parties comprising from ten to fifteen does and fawns, accom- 

 panied by a single adult buck. Sir J. Willoughby states that in 

 the Kilima-Njaro district these gazelles " were in extraordinary 

 profusion, though extremely wild, and among the herds we 

 noticed many fine bucks. It may be worthy of record that they 

 would often allow us to crawl towards them without showing 

 any sign of alarm, until we were within a fair rifle range ; 

 whereas, if we attempted to walk towards them, even in a stooping 

 position, they would invariably start off before we had approached 

 within 400 yards." 



Thomson's In Masailand, on the east coast to the north of 



Gazelle. Zanzibar, Grant's gazelle is replaced by the allied 



but smaller Thomson's gazelle (G. thomsoni), of which the horns 



are figured in the woodcut. In this species the horns are relatively 



smaller and thinner than in the last, not exceeding 15 inches in length. This gazelle 



is also distinguished from the preceding by the broad dark brown band on the 



flanks, dividing the fawn-colour of the body from the white of the belly. 



other species "^ l ar g es t °f a U the group is the swift gazelle (G. mohr), which 



is a West African species from Senegal, standing upwards of 32 



HORNS OF THOMSON'S 



gazelle. (From 

 Giinther. ) 



