1881.] MR. F. C. SELOUS ON AFRICAN ANTELOPES. 755 



congener the Bushbuck, the Situtunga goes in pairs, and is not met 

 with in herds. The females have not horns on the Lower Chobe, as 

 as they are stated to have further north by Major Pinto. 



5. Oryx gazella, 



{Gemsbok of the Dutch ; Gemsbuch of the Enghsh ; Kukama of 

 the Bechuanas and Makalakas ; Ko of the Masaras.) 



The Gemsbuck is almost entirely confined to the arid deserts of 

 South-western Africa. In the Kalahari desert, to the west of Gri(jua- 

 land West, it is fairly plentiful; and all along the road leading along 

 the eastern border of the desert from Kuruman to Bamangwato it is 

 occasionally to be met with, becoming plentiful if one penetrates into 

 the waterless country to the westward, but being unknown to the east- 

 ward, of the road. Along the waggon-road leading from Bamangwato 

 to Tati there are a few Gemsbuck about Pelatsi, Serule, and Goqui; 

 and they are sometimes to be met with on the upper courseof (he Mac- 

 loutsi, Shashi, and Tati rivers. A few sometimes even wander as far 

 eastwards as the Ramokwebani river. On the road leading from Tati 

 to the Zambesi Gemsbuck are not often met with ; but a few are occa- 

 sionally to be seen in the neighbourhood of Thammasanka and 

 Thammasetjie. A little further westwards, however, in the neigh- 

 bourhood of the great saltpans, they are numerous, as they are also in 

 all the country between the saltpans and the Botletlie river, whilst to 

 the west of that river, right through the desert into Damaraland, 

 they are said to run in large herds. Where I have met with them 

 the country has either been open or covered with stunted bush; 

 and along the waggon-road from Bamangwato to the Mababe their 

 northern range seems to be limited by the heavily timbered sand- 

 belts which run east and west immediately to the south of that river, 

 and into which the Gemsbuck does not penetrate. North of the 

 Mababe, in the direction of the Chobe, although many parts of the 

 country appear well fitted for them, the Gemsbuck is unknown. 

 As far as my experience goes, the Gemsbuck is far from being the 

 fleetest or most enduring Antelope in South Africa, and in these 

 respects connot be compared with the Tsessebe or Hartebeest. I do 

 not think it is either fleeter or more enduring than the Sable or 

 Roan Antelope ; and I have myself run one to a standstill without 

 firing a shot, and know of several other men having done the same 

 thing. The horns of the cow become longer than those of the bull, 

 as a rule ; the longest pair of the former I have ever seen measured 

 3 ft. 10| in., and of the latter 3 ft. 6 in. 



6. HiPPOTRAGUS LEUCOPH^US. 



{Roan Antelope of the English ; Bastard Gemsbok of the Colonial 

 and Orange-Free-State Dutch ; Bastard Eland of the Transvaal 

 Dutch ; Qualata of the Northern Bechuanas ; Tai-hait-sa of the 

 Southern Bechuanas ; Ee-taka of the Amandebele ; Ee-pala-pala 

 chena (White Sable Antelope) of the Makalakas ; Impengo eetuba 

 (White Sable Antelope) of the Masubias ; Oo-ka-mook-wee of the 

 Makubas ; Kwar of the Masaras.) 



