107 
There seems no doubt, therefore, that we ought to adopt Laurillard’s name 
for this Antelope, bestowed upon it because of its somewhat greasy fur. 
Further confusion in its synonymy was caused from its being supposed by 
Gray and by many subsequent authors, nearly up to the present time, to be 
identical with the Defassa Antelope of Eastern Africa. 
Gray, who probably derived his information from Whitfield, Lord Derby’s 
collector, tells us that this animal is called “‘ Sing-sing ” by the negroes of the 
Gambia, who do not think their flocks of cattle will be healthy or fruitful 
unless they have a tame Sing-sing in their company. The English on the 
Gambia are said to call it the “Jackass Deer,” and its flesh, we are told, is 
very strong, unpleasant, and scarcely palatable. Little, we regret to say, if 
anything, has been added to our knowledge of the habits of the Sing-sing in 
a state of nature and its range since the publication of Gray’s notes. None 
of the recent explorers of the western districts of Africa appear to have met 
with it, so that we may presume that its proper home is Senegal and the 
Gambia. 
In captivity, however, singularly enough, the Sing-sing, as it is habitually 
called, is by no means scarce, and specimens of it may usually be found in 
the larger Zoological Gardens of the Continent. In several of these, for 
example at Antwerp and Berlin, and we believe in the Jardin des Plantes at 
Paris, the Sing-sing has bred and produced young. In our own Zoological 
Gardens, as has been already stated, the first specimen of the Sing-sing 
was received in 1831 or 1832, but, so far as we can ascertain from reference 
to the Society's books, no other examples were obtained until 1867 and 1868, 
in which years two females of this species were added to the collection. In 
December 1885 an adult male was obtained, and in November 1886 an adult 
pair was received in exchange from the Jardin des Plantes, Paris. 
Our illustration of the Sing-sing (Plate XX XIII.) has been prepared by 
Mr. Smit from the last-named pair, the female of which is still living in the 
Menagerie. 
August, 1896. 
VOL. II. Q 
