252 



The Living Animals of the World 



mcii. 



EOAN ANTELOPE. 



with the S;Lble Antelojie and tlie Oryx group, hotli Hexes of this species cany 

 boins. 



counted between seventy and 

 eighty together. However large 

 a herd of sable antelopes may 

 be, it is very exceptional to 

 find with it more tlian one fully 

 adult male, from which fact I 

 should judge that these animals 

 are of a very jealous and 

 pugnacious disposition. When 

 wounded and brought to bay by 

 dogs, a sable antelope defends 

 itself w'ith the utmost fury, 

 using its long scimitair-shaped 

 horns with most wonderful quick- 

 ness and dexterity. If badly 

 wounded it will lie down, other- 

 wise it fights standing. Keeping 

 its face to some of its foes, with 

 a sideways twist of its head 

 it will transfix and throw intO' 

 the air any dog which attempts 

 to attack it from behind. 1 

 have seen a wounded sable 

 antelo^je, when lying down, 

 drive one of its horns clean 

 through a large dog deep into 

 its own haunch, and I have 



had four valuable hounds 

 killed and four others 

 grievously wounded hy one 

 of these animals in less than 

 a minute. I once knew a 

 native hunter wlio was stabbed 

 through the kidneys and 

 killed by a sable antelope cow. 

 The nearest allies of the 

 sable and roan antelopes are 

 the various species of the 

 genus Oryx. In this grouj) 

 are included the White Oryx, 

 which inhabits the desert 

 regions of the interior of 

 Northern Africa from Dongola 

 to Senegal ; the Beatkix 

 Oryx of Southern Arabia ; 

 the Gemseuck of South- 

 western Africa ; the Belsa, 

 which is found in North-east 

 Africa from Suakiiti south- 

 wards to the river Tana ; and 

 the Tufted Belsa, which is 



Photo by Norman II. Smith, Bsj.] 



MALE OF grant's GAZELL}3. 

 This fine Ea-st African species is one of (lie handsomest of its liind. 



