MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 731 



but without result, aud before departing from the neighbourhood I left word 

 with the nearest Kurria that, if reliable news of the whereabouts of the herd 

 were brought to me, the bearer of it would be well rewarded ; but I never 

 heard of them again. 



On going to where the one I shot had fallen, I found it was a female, hut 

 I am afraid the fact only partially marred the pleasure I felt at having made 

 the acquaintance of this rare antelope. A few minutes later Abdillahi and 

 I were struggling down the side of the plateau, Abdillahi with the Baira on 

 his back, and after reaching the bottom where I had left a man with my 

 camera, the photo was taken which accompanies these notes. The specimens 

 •af black rock, lying strewn about in the background of the picture are pieces 

 that have become detached and have rolled down the sides of the plateau to 

 the plain below ; they present a less rounded and weather-beaten appearance 

 than those with which the ourface is covered. 



The following are the measurements and description of the animal as noted 

 down at the time : — 



Measurements*-— 



Height at shoulder, 23". 

 Length, 3G£", 

 Tail. 5i". 



Ear in front, 6^". 

 „ at bac'c, 5|". 

 „ breadth, 2f". 



Inscription. — Warm pinkish fawn-colour above, a little darker where it 

 joins the white on the sides. Belly, buttocks and inside of legs down to knees 

 and hocks white. Around the mammae, of which there are two, and under 

 the elbows the skin is black and hairless. The head from between the ears 

 to nose bright rufous, also the upper part of the cheeks, which get paler 

 towards the throat. The nape and neck are the same warm fawn-colour as 

 the back. The forelegs from the elbow and the hindlegs from the hip 

 downwards the same bright rufous colour as the face. 



, The measurements of this specimen, of which the skin and skeleton 

 are in the British Museum, correspond very nearly with those of the Indian 

 Gazelle. 



The peculiarity of the animal is the abnormal size of its ears— a pecularity 

 which is apparent in the photograph. On this account the animal 

 was first named Oreotragus megalotis, or the large-eared Klipspringer. 

 Whether it has any anatomical resemblance to the Klipspringer, by reason of 

 which it received this name, I am not able to say, but certain it is that the 

 herd that I met with neither looked not behaved like " Alakud" {Oreotra- 

 gus saltator) would have under similar circumstances ; and I am not sur- 

 prised to find that Sclater and Thomas, referring to it as Dorcotragus 

 megalotis in their " Book of Antelopes," say : "... after a careful 

 consideration of its characters we think it may best be treated as an 

 aberrant Gazelle, and as such, therefore, we propose to treat it, " 



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