British East Africa in 1892-5. Herr Neumann, who visited the Musée 
d'Histoire Naturelle at Paris for the same purpose, found during his researches 
at these places that the so-called “Kob” of East Africa was essentially 
different from the true Kob of Western Africa. Thomas in this country, 
and M. Poussarges in France, had also come to the same conclusion: Thomas 
from an examination of specimens of the true Cobus kob recently obtained by 
Capt. Lugard on the Niger, and M. Poussarges from a comparison of a 
specimen of the present Antelope procured by M. Decle in Uganda with the 
original types of Buffon’s “‘Kob.” Herr Neumann therefore proposed to 
call the new Eastern species after Mr. Thomas, and designated as its type 
Mr. Scott Elliot’s specimen from Uganda, to which he affixed the specific 
name thomasi in MS. But the preparation of Herr Neumann’s description 
was unfortunately delayed, and was not transmitted to the Zoological Society 
of London for publication until January 1896. In the meanwhile, Sclater, 
supposing from the delay that the description in question might have been 
sent to some periodical in Germany, had exhibited a mounted head of the 
same Antelope (obtained by Mr. E. Gedge on the eastern shores of Lake 
Victoria, as hereafter mentioned) and had given its name as “ Cobus 
thomasi, Neumann, MS.” ‘This, therefore, was actually the first publication 
of the species under its present name, and it may possibly be a moot point 
for experts in questions of priority whether Mr. Gedge’s specimen ought not 
really to be considered the “type.” It is satisfactory, however, that both the 
possible “types” are in the British Museum, so that no international 
complications can arise from such a controversy. 
The “ Kob” of Uganda, as Mr. F. J. Jackson in his excellent chapter on 
Antelopes in “ Big Game Shooting” calls this species, following the then 
prevalent opinion as to its identity, “is first met with in British East Africa 
near Mumia’s, in Upper Kavirondo. Here I saw a small herd on three 
consecutive days on the banks of the Nzoia, quite near to the same place. 
As I was after Hippo.s at the time, and never got near the Antelopes, I 
mistook them for Impalas, and paid no further attention to them, until one 
day Mr. Gedge brought in the head of one he had shot, and I at once 
recognized my mistake. On going out specially to get one or two I found 
them plentiful. This beast is rarely seen more than 800 or 400 yards from 
water. It is very shy, and unless found in long grass (about the only covert 
there is, excepting ant-heaps, in the places it haunts) is very difficult to 
