160 THE ORIBB 



which presented what seemed to me several 

 marked differences. Its colour was not unlike 

 the type we are considering — namely, a bright 

 reddish fawn ; but the belly and throat were 

 straw-coloured, whilst, in addition to a marked 

 darkening of the coat along the dorsal ridge, 

 the entire skin on the upper portion of the body 

 was distinguished by an unmistakable tinge of 

 purple. In bringing this specimen to the coast, 

 the skin was unfortunately, and to my great regret, 

 stolen, I suspect by a steamer boy ; but as there 

 are, I believe, no less than close on forty divisions 

 of the sub-order to which these antelopes belong, 

 perhaps it is rather a mercy that no further 

 addition to this number was permitted to be 

 made. 



Oribi occur as a rule most numerously in 

 the more elevated regions of the Portuguese 

 Province. They are of two different types — 

 the Cape oribi, and the variety which has come 

 to be known as Peters', a rather smaller animal 

 than the first mentioned. Their appearance 

 and habits are very like those of the little ante- 

 lopes just mentioned, except that their affection 

 for thick bush is not so marked as in the case 

 of the duikers. Oribi are often to be seen in 

 open grass country, on the summits of low moun- 

 tain plateaux, as also, but not so frequently, 

 on the plains of the lower levels. They live 

 exclusively on a grass diet, and from the circum- 

 stance of being seldom seen far from water it is 

 to be apprehended that they do not share the 

 abstemious habits of the duikers and Living- 



