380 MAJOR II. MEIXERTZHAGEX ON THE 



In all I saw twelve warrantable buck and numberless females 

 and immature specimens. I killed one buck, and the rest of the 

 party killed an adult buck, an immature buck, and captured 

 a female and young, about a month old. I had exceptional 

 opportunities for close observation, for sitting by a game- 

 path I actually stroked several beasts as they walked slowly 

 past me. 



These Sitatunga diifer remarkably from the Bugalla type. 

 Their colour, length of skull, type of horn, greater size and 

 weight, and different shape of feet appear to entitle them to sub- 

 specific rank, and I propose the name of Limnotragus spekei 

 sylvestris for this island form. 



Colour, etc. — The adult male is of a uniform dull mouse -colour, 

 and not a dark brown. The legs have no sign of reddish marks. 

 There is no light mark on either the throat or under side of the 

 neck. The hair is thicker than in Bugalla specimens, and the 

 skin can seldom be seen through it, except on the under parts. 

 All females seen were red, no brown ones being observed. All 

 young were bright red, the one captured being well marked Avith 

 white flecks and spots on the flanks and hind quarters. 



Skull and horns. — The shape of the horns is well exemplified 

 by the photograph (text-fig. 1). The horns of all I saw were of 

 this " bushbuck " type. 



The animal is larger and heavier than the Bugalla type, as 

 will be seen by refei-ring to the table of measurements on p. 377 ; 

 the smallest Nkose skull is | inch longer than the largest Bugalla 

 skull. 



Feet. — The hoofs are, perhaps, the most distinguishing feature, 

 and this is well exemplified by text-fig. 2. The length of the 

 hoofs differs but slightly from that of Bugalla specimens, but they 

 are much stouter and stronger. The difference in shape of the 

 false hoofs in the two forms is shown in text-fig. 2, B, C 

 Neither of the three specimens shot had the small hair-patch on 

 the pad of indiarubber-like skin behind the hoof, Avhereas all the 

 Bugalla specimens had such a small hair-patch. The feet of the 

 young one captured were not abnormally long, in fact, no longer 

 than one would expect to find in a young Bushbuck of his 

 age. 



Measurements of the feet are given in the table on p. 377. 



Habits. — They are of necessity entirely browsers and eat a lot 

 of bark. They live in dense dry forest, seldom seeing the light 

 of the sun, for the small patch of open grass at the southern 

 end of the island was particularly devoid of tracks. It is un- 

 doubtedly these peculiar surroundings which have produced such 

 a peculiar form. Whether such a form exists or not on other 

 such small afforested islands of the Sesse Gi'oup is not yet known. 

 On Nkose Island there must be at least 200 individuals. 



