352 ON THE MOUNTAIN NYALA. 



and fainter one beliind the same, a narrow bvit deep gorget on the 

 throat, and a much wider but less deep one of a more lunate shape 

 on the upper part of the chest. A curved row of nine spots — 

 some of which are much fainter than the rest — extends from a 

 point about over the head of the thigh-bone to the back of the lower 

 part of the shoulder. There is another white spot on each side of 

 the buttocks. The inner surface of the thighs and of the upper 

 portion of the fore-legs is dirty white. A white area occupies 

 the back of each fore-leg below the knee, extending on to the outer 

 and inner surfaces of the limb, but not reaching the pastern ; 

 and a somewhat similar area occurs on the hind-leg, extending 

 slightly above the hock. There is a pair of white oval spots on 

 each fetlock some distance above the hoof. 



The second head obtained by Mr. Buxton is that of a much 

 older buck, as is attested by the horns, which have closely approxi- 

 mated rings at ths base, are of greater length, and are much 

 battered on the front surface, and worn away at the tips, of 

 Avhich the left one is broken. They form about one turn and a 

 quarter, and have a more upright direction than in the type 

 specimen ; in both of which respects they are more Nyala-like. 

 Although the buck to which this head belonged was a member of 

 the same herd as the type, the coat is considera,b]y longer and 

 looser, especially on the throat, where it forms an incipient fringe. 

 The colour is also darker and greyer, being a greyish brown, 

 comparable to that of a Waterbuck. The face is likewise distinctly 

 darker, the whole of the lower portion being of a chocolate-brown 

 like that of the forehead, and the tan restricted to the area round 

 the eye, behind which is a small white patch. There is a tendency 

 to rufous in the hair round the muzzle, and also in that between 

 the horns. In consequence of the darker colour of the rest of the 

 face, the white frontal chevron is much more conspicuous than in 

 the type specimen. The upper throat-patch or gorget is also very 

 conspicuous, and is continued by means of scattered white hairs 

 almost to the lower gorget. 



The mounted head belonging to Mr. Allbright (text-fig. 103) is 

 likewise that of an old buck, and agrees in essential characters 

 with the one last-mentioned. The body-skin of the same animal 

 differs from that of the type not only in its longer and darker 

 hair and the greater development of the dorsal crest, but likewise 

 in the presence of two indistinct vertical white stripes — one con- 

 siderably longer than the other — on the hind -quarters, with faint 

 traces of a still shorter third one. In this respect the specimen 

 makes a further approximation to the Nyala. 



The skull is not yet cleaned, but does not apparently pi-esent 

 any very distinctive features of generic importance. It is true 

 that the base of the horn-cores lacks the pronounced front keel 

 found in the Kudu, but as this keel is also lacking in the Lesser 

 Kudu, it cannot be regarded as a feature of much importance. 



On the whole, the Mountain Nyala seems to come nearest to 

 the species from which it takes its name, although in the general 



