810 ME. A. H. PHASE ON THE [NoV. 17, 



bear this in mind in making enquiries. The Arabs, however, use 

 the word " Meha " exclusively for tlie Addax, though probably the 

 general run of natives are unacquainted with this name. 



The Addax {Adda.v naso-maeulatus), called by the Ereneh 

 " Antilope du Sud," by the Arabs " Becjra el Ouash " or " Melui," 

 and by the Touaregs " 2'amita " (or Tameeta), has been so often 

 described that I will not attempt any description of it myself, but 

 simply give such information as to its habitat and habits as I have* 

 been able to gather whilst travelHog in the Sahara and residing at 

 Biskra. 



I do not know of any good complete specimen in any museum, 

 nor have I been able to obtain one myself, though, along with 

 Sir Edmund Loder, I made one good bid to reach the confines of 

 those countries where it is to be found in great numbers. In 

 I'ebi-uary 1895, furnished with all the information I could obtain 

 from M. Foureau and natives familiar with the Erg, we started from 

 Biskra to reach the country between El Oued Souf and Ehadamis. 

 After a week's journey across the desert by way of the gi-eat Chotts 

 we reached the Oued Souf. At El Oued, the last outpost of the 

 French in the direction of Ehadamis, we were stopped till Capi- 

 taine de Prandiere obtained instructions from the General of 

 Division permitting us to go on. After a detention, made pleasant 

 by the great kindness and hospitality of the three French officers 

 in commaud of the native garrison, we had the disappointment of 

 being told that we could not be allowed to proceed southwards. 

 At the time we thought this very hard, for though we were aware 

 that the Toaaregs had laceY raided the Chambas as near as Mey, 

 we felt that a ilying visit to the country east of Bir Beresof would 

 be without danger, as we could be in and out a^ain before our 

 presence was discovered. But a few months later M. Foureau 

 and a strong force were driven back from the south, though he 

 had reached a point far beyond our proposed destination, and I 

 think our hosts were entirely justified in their refusal. Our plan 

 had been to reach Bir Beresof, and then to strike east for Bir Aoueen, 

 where we should in all probability have come up with the Addax, 

 which visits this district in large quantities in favourable years. 

 The Addax country is the Erg, the great region of sand-dunes 

 00^ ered more or less thickly with vegetation according to situation 

 and rains. This sand-dune country covers hundreds — it may be 

 said thousands— of miles and the Addax follows the rains. In 

 certain districts it is not uncommon for rain not to fall for several 

 years in succession. In one year the Addax are only found far 

 south of Ehadamis and Ai'n Taiba (S. of Ouargla), in other years 

 they follow the rain as far north as the southern borders of the 

 Chott Djereed in the east and the neighbourhood of Ai'n Taiba in 

 the west. Without the help of the French and a good escort of 

 Chambas it would be vain to attempt to reach the Ehadamis 

 country by way of Bir Beresof ; and the wells being sometimes 

 nine days apart, it is a difficult route to follow. 



I heard when at Touzer that a M. Cornex had obtained a 



