476 ON THE GESTATION OF TITE INDIAN ANTELOPE. [ Junfe 5, 



desert. It climbs like a Chamois to the tops of the highest moun- 

 tains in the rockiest ground, and is often found in the juniper- 

 forests on the mountain-slopes. These are also the haunts of the 

 Mouflon, the two animals being constantly seen on the same 

 ground. 



Oazella d 'areas is found all over the hard stony desert and also 

 on the foot-hills, so that it sometimes overlaps the range of the 

 Admi. I have seen a few in the sand-hills, the true country of 

 the Eeem ; but I believe that still farther south it is not found, its 

 place being taken entirely by the Eeem. I quite believe the state- 

 ment of the natives that the Eeem is never found off the soft 

 sand. 



4. Note on the Period of Gestation of the Indian Antelope, 

 Ant Hope cervicapra (Linn.). B} r Sir Edmund Giles 

 Loder, Bart., F.Z.S. 



[Received June 1, 1894.] 



Well known as is the Indian Antelope, the period of its gestation 

 does not seem to have yet been ascertained. Blanford, in his ' Fauna 

 of British India,' 1888-91, quotes Elliot, "The rutting-season 

 commences about February or March, but fawns are seen of all 

 ages at every season ;" and adds a note of his own, " I cannot find 

 the period of gestation recorded." Jerdon, in his ' Mammals of 

 India,' 1^74, gives the same quotation from Elliot. Sterndale, 

 ' Natural History of the Mammalia of India,' 1884, copies this 

 quotation but not quite correctly: — "The breeding-eeasoa begins 

 in the spring, but fawns of all ages may be seen at any time of 

 the year." 



Having kept a herd of these Antelopes for several years, prac- 

 tically in a wild state, in a park of considerable extent, I should 

 like to take this opportunity of putting on record my own 

 observations. 



I find that the does of this species breed regidarh/ here twice 

 every year. One particular doe, which is tamer than the others, 

 and therefore perfectly well known, had a young one on April 10, 

 1892, and another young one on November 10 of the same year. 



It is usually very difficult, if not impossible, to tell the exact 

 date of the birth of a fawn, as the does hide their young ones very 

 closely in the heather and bracken for a fortnight or three weeks, 

 visiting them only during the night. 



When the young ones are first seen with the herd they are 

 probably three weeks to a month old. 



Another doe had a young one on May 7, 1803, and a second on 

 October 14, 1893. The period of gestation must therefore be 

 about 5 months. 



