482 sir \ictor brooke on I.May 16, 



1 . On Speke's Antelope and the allied Species of the Genus 

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

 F.R.G.S. 



[Eeceived May 3, 1871.] 

 (Plate XXXIX.) 



Some confusion apparently existing between three of the larger 

 known species of the genus Tragelaphus, it has occurred to me as 

 not entirely useless to review their history, and to endeavour to 

 lessen the confusion, by giving characters of distinction between the 

 species which may prevent similar mistakes in future. 



In the ' Proceedings' of this Society for 1864 (p. 103, plate xii.) 

 Dr. Sclater described and figured provisionally an Antelope, of 

 which the horns attached to part of the frontal bones of an adult, 

 and the skin and horns of a young male, had been brought from 

 Karague by Captain Speke, on his return from the Victoria Nyanza. 

 In the 'Proceedings' of the same year (p. 649) Dr. Kirk expressed 

 his opinion that the "Nakong" of the marshy regions of Lake 

 N'gaini and the Chobe was identical with the " Nzoe" of Karague', 

 the T. spekii of Sclater. 



Dr. Sclater, being very desirous to throw as much light as pos- 

 sible on the history of this little-known and most interesting Ante- 

 lope, subsequently collected some MS. notes on the subject, which 

 he intended to form into a supplementary paper, more fully de- 

 scribing the species and its allied forms. These notes, however, he 

 has lately, in the most generous manner, placed in my hands for 

 consideration, kuowing my special interest in this branch of zoology. 

 Amongst these papers are two letters, one from Dr. Livingstone, 

 the other from Mr. Oswell. Both of these gentlemen express them- 

 selves satisfied as to the identity of the "Nakong," procured by 

 them during their visit to Lake N'gami in 1852, with the "Nzoe'" 

 obtained by Capt. Speke in equatorial Africa. In a letter which I 

 have just received from Mr. Oswell, relative to the habits of the 

 " Nakong" of Southern Africa, he remarks, " The colour of male 

 and female is alike, a rusty blackish-brown ; hair long and shaggy. 

 This Antelope is scarce, in small families, though I am told more 

 abundant on the swamps of the Teoghe river, N.W. of N'gami, and 

 is not, I think, found short of the point where the Zouga river 

 issues from the lake. It lives entirely in the swamps and reeds ; 

 and its feet are wonderfully adapted to its habitat ; their extreme 

 length and area of tread, including the fetlock up to the suc- 

 centorial hoofs, make them perfect 'swamp-shoes,' though they 

 incapacitate the animal from running on hard ground. When 

 pressed, the Nakong takes to the water, and sinks itself altogether 

 save the nostrils ; in this position it is often speared by the na- 

 tives." Mr. Oswell adds, "my description must only be taken for 

 what it is worth, as I think I only saw a Nakong once, and the 



