1883.] MR. p. L. SCLATER ON TRAGELAPHUS GRATUS. 3.0 



On visiting the menagerie of the Jardin des Plantes of Paris, in 

 the autumn after I had read my paper, M. Alphonse Milne-Edwards 

 called my attention to a pair of Antelopes of the genus Tragela- 

 phus, which he had then lately received from the Jardin d'Accli- 

 matation, and which he was disposed to consider referable to the 

 Tragelaphns eurycerosoi Qx&y. But although the markings some- 

 what resembled those of the last-named species, the long-extended 

 hoofs showed that these animals belonged to the swamp-frequenting 

 division of Tragelaphus typified by Tr.speJdi ; and I was of opinion 

 that they were none other than a pair of the same species as that of 

 which I had just described the female as Tr. gratus. In order to 

 endeavour to settle the question, on my return to London I sent the 

 skin of T. gratus to M. A. Milne-Edwards for comparison, and con- 

 vinced him, 1 believe, that my opinion was probably correct. 



On visiting the Jardin des Plantes again in the autumn of 1881, 1 

 had the pleasure of inspecting for a second time this fine pair of 

 Antelopes, then accompanied by a young female born in the previous 

 December ; and Mr. Keulemans being at that time in Paris, I re- 

 quested him, with M. Milne-Edwards' s sanction, to prepare the water- 

 colour drawings of them, which I now exhibit (Plate VIII.). 



M. Milne-Edwards has kindly favoured me with the subjoined 

 notes on these Antelopes ; — 



" Le Museum a fait I'acquisition de la femelle du Tragelaphus le 

 10 mars 1876, et du male le 19 noveuibre 1879. 



"M. Geoffroy St.-Hilaire les avait regus du Gaboon. 



" La femelle a ete couverte le 10 avril 1880, et elle a mis has le 

 4 decembre apres 7 mois et 24 jours de gestation. La jeune biche 

 qui venait de naitre s'est parfaitement developpe malgre les froids de 

 I'hiver. Un jeune male est ne en decembre 1881, mais il u'a pas 

 vecu ; sa depouille a ete prepare et figure dans les galeries du Mu- 

 seum. 



" Nous possedons done aujourd'hui 2 femelles et un male ; le jeune 

 femelle a ete couverte derni^remeut ; elle avait alors 22 mois ; sa mere 

 est pleiue et mettra has probablement ce mois-ci. 



" Ces animaux ont des allures lourdes, ils sont peu gracieux quand 

 ils courent et semblent embarrasses de leurs longues pattes. Le male 

 est mechant et il laboure sans cesse le sol avec ses cornes ; les femelles 

 sont tres douces. Ces Antilopes vivent certainement dans les endroits 

 marecageux, car ils aiment a treniper leurs pattes dans les abreuvoirs 

 et ils restent souvent fort longtemps dans cette position. 



" Le pelage ne change pas de couleur avec les saisons, mais les 

 jeunes males sont tout-u-fait semblables avec les femelles ; je ne sais 

 pas a quel age ils revetent leur robe definitive." 



1 find that there is also a specimen of this Antelope in the collec- 

 tion of the British Museum. It was received from the Gaboon along 

 with a lot of other Mamm.als by Mr. E. Gerrard, jun., in 1882 ; and 

 the skin is now mounted. I exhibit a drawing by Mr. Smit (see 

 p. 36) of the head and horns of this specimen, which it will be 

 observed agree in every respect with those of the example in the 

 Jardin des Plantes. 



This specimen .stands about 42 inches in height at the shoulders, 



3* 



