SWAYNE'S HARTEBEEST 

 Babalis swaynei, Sol. 



Somali name, Sig 



Description. — This hartebeest is only found in Western 

 Somaliland and the adjoining parts of Abyssinia as far west as the 

 Great Rift Valley. In its size and the shape of its horns it is 

 somewhat similar to Coke's hartebeest, but can easily be dis- 

 tinguished from it by its very dark coloration. The general 

 colour is a pale chocolate, rather darker on the sides than in the 

 middle line ; this is owing to the fact that the hairs on the top of 

 the withers and down the back are faded at the tips. The general 

 colour fades into a pale reddish fawn on the abdomen. On each 

 side of the body there is an indistinct black smudge; this same 

 smudge is found on the anterior aspect of each rump. On the 

 shoulders and upper portion of the forelegs is a shining black patch, 

 while on the lower part of the forelegs there is another more or 

 less faintly marked black patch. The colour of the upper part of 

 the tail is similar to that on the rumps, the terminal portion con- 

 sisting of long black hairs. The colour of the head and neck is 

 darker than the general body colour, while the space between the 

 eyes and muzzle is very (dark brown or black. The ears are very 

 much paler in colour than the rest of the head and neck, and are 

 rufous with a tendency to black towards the tips. The horns seldom 

 exceed 17 in. in length in the males and 14 in. in the females, and 

 in the former are stout and the annulations well marked. 



Measurements. — The measurements in the flesh of an adult 

 male shot by me on the plains to the westward of Hargeisa were 

 as follows ; 



57 



