1878.] SIR V. BROOKE ON A NEW GAZELLE. 929 



2. On a new Species of Gazelle from Western Africa. By- 

 Sir Victor Brooke, Bart., F.Z.S. 



[Keceived November 19, 1878.] 

 (Plate LVI.) 



I have the pleasure of bringing before the notice of the Society a new 

 and exceedingly interesting form of Gazelle. As is well known, the 

 different species into which the genus Gazella is divisible (vide P. Z. S. 

 1873, p. 535) resemble each other so closely that it is often very 

 difficult to define them. The differences exist in nature, let their 

 taxonomic value be what it may ; but in many cases they absolutely 

 baffle verbal description. 



In the form at present under consideration there is no such 

 difficulty. Although the materials at my command consist only of 

 the skulls of three males, with a small portion of the skin of the head 

 attached to one of them, characters are apparent which separate the 

 form from all known Gazelles. Indeed my only doubt is as to 

 whether the species should not constitute the type of a new subgenus. 

 The specimens belong to Mr. Gerald Waller, and it is through his 

 courtesy that I have the opportunity of exhibiting them this evening. 

 Mr. Waller tells me that the skulls were procured on the mainland 

 of Africa, north of the island of Zanzibar, about lat. 3° S. and long. 

 38° E. He is unfortunately unable at present to give any further 

 particulars respecting the species. 



The new Gazelle differs from all hitherto described species in the 

 very great backward prolongation of the occiput. This extension is 

 is principally gained by the great size of the supraoccipital bone 

 and the prominence of the occipital crest. The skull is much more 

 depressed, the facial axis forms a more obtuse angle with the cranial 

 axis, and the rami of the lower jaw are more slender than in any 

 known Gazelle. The ascending rami of the prsemaxillee are remark- 

 ably thick, and do not nearly reach the nasals. In all other Gazelles 

 the molars and premolars are decidedly hypsodont ; in the new 

 species they are as decidedly brachyodont, and, in comparison with 

 the skull, remarkably small. The horns do not differ greatly from 

 those of Gazella dorcas ; they are, however, more massive and more 

 laterally compressed. The skin of the head is of a uniform foxy 

 red, with white marks under the eye. Mr. Waller has expressed a 

 desire that the species should be named after his brother, who lost 

 his life in Africa. I have therefore much pleasure in proposing the 

 name Gazella walleri for the new form. 



The following table of the comparative dimensions of Gazella 

 walleri and Gazella dorcas, and the Plate (LVI.), will render further 

 description unnecessary. 



