The Roan Antelope 415 



for three-fifths of its length, the tapering occurring more in the upper than 

 in the lower half. 



Whilst a fairly common antelope on the Middle Niger and along the 

 River Benue towards Lake Tchad, I cannot discover that it is at all frequent 

 in the hinterland of the Gold Coast, Sierra Leone, or the Gambia, and I 

 cannot hear of it at all in the hinterland of the Cameroons. It is probable 

 that it is very local in habitat ; and that it is not general throughout the 

 hinterlands of West Africa, as is the hartebeest. I imagine it is confined 

 to districts separated from each other by more or less long stretches of 

 country, where it is unknown. On the Niger its southern limit may be 

 placed at 7.30 north latitude, and it is known throughout the Middle 

 Niger, and is also reported by natives as existing in places in the big bend of 

 the Niger, and between the Middle Niger and Lake Tchad. 1 Whilst it is 

 found in the light bush which the hartebeest frequents, it evinces a more 

 decided preference for the more open country farther north, and was met 

 in fair numbers in open country in Yauri, on the left bank of the Niger, in 

 latitude 11 to 12 north. 



It is shy in its general habits, avoiding cultivation or other haunts of 

 men to a greater degree than most antelope, and it may be roughly stated 

 that where the population of a district is large, and villages and farms lie 

 close together, the roan antelope is not to be found. 



It is more often come across singly or in pairs than in herds ; and I 

 have never seen it in proximity to other antelope except on one occasion, 

 when a herd of hartebeest galloped right up to me as I was drawing a 

 bead on a roan bull. In pairs they range over a large extent of country in 

 a day, and do not appear to lie up or rest much during daylight. As they 

 wander they feed at intervals, moving quickly over the country, and rarely 

 stopping in one spot. At night they lie up on rising ground, and towards 



1 The roan antelope is found also in Angola on the west coast, where Mr. G. W. Pcnrice has shot 

 specimens which [ have had the pleasure of examining. These are practically identical with the roan 

 antelope of South Africa.— Ed. 



