THE ANTELOPES 221 
At the present day the saiga is only found in Europe on the plains between the Don 
and the Volga, but to the east of the Ural River its range extends over the Kirghiz Steppes 
and the high plains of all Western Siberia. Living in open country, and having the senses of 
hearing, sight, and scent all highly developed, the saiga is a difficult animal to approach, and 
can only be successfully stalked by an expert hunter. In summer it is usually met with in 
small, scattered bands, which, when driven southwards by snow and cold, are collected into 
considerable herds in the more southerly portions of its range. In very severe winters whole 
herds have been known to perish in snow-drifts, and in such inclement seasons large numbers 
are also'killed by the natives. The flesh of the saiga is said to resemble mutton, and is held 
in much esteem. 
: THE GAZELLES 
We now come to the Gazelles, among which are comprised many of the best known 
and most beautiful of the small or medium- sized antelopes. In the true gazelles both sexes 
generally carry horns. Indeed, this rule is universal in those of Africa and Arabia; and there 
_ By permission of Herr “Carl Hagenbeck] 
GOITRED GAZELLES FROM MESOPOTAMIA 
These animals are inhabitants of rocky and desert ground, They are often kept tame by the wandering Arabs 
[Hamburg 
are only four species known — all Asiatic — in which the females are hornless: vzs. the TIBETAN 
GAZELLE, PREJEVALSKI’S GAZELLE, the MONGOLIAN GAZELLE, and the PERSIAN GAZELLE. 
The range of the various species belonging to this large group is very extensive, comprising 
the whole of Northern and Eastern Africa, Arabia, and Western and Central Asia, as well as 
Mongolia and India. The gazelles are inhabitants of the open plains and arid desert regions 
of the Old World, and, although sometimes met with in tracts of country where there is a 
certain amount of scattered bush or open stunted forest, are never found in any kind of jungle 
or thick cover. 
On the sandy plains of North-western Africa are found the RED-FRONTED GAZELLE of 
Senegal and Gambia; the little-known MHORR, GAZELLE of South-western Morocco; and the 
DAMA GAZELLE, a species which has been known to naturalists ever since the time of Buffon. 
A near ally of the last-named animal is the RED-NECKED GAZELLE of Dongola and Senaar. In 
North-eastern Africa are found the large and handsome SOEMMERRING’S GAZELLE; the ISABELLA 
GAZELLE, of the coastlands of the Red Sea; HEUGLIN’S GAZELLE; PELZELN’S GAZELLE, of the 
maritime plains of Northern Somaliland; and SPEKE'’S GAZELLE, of the interior of the same 
country; whilst farther south the group is represented by the large and beautiful GRANT’S 
15 
