oe 
besides A. tragocamelus, Pallas introduced into his list an Antilope picta, 
founded upon Pennant’s ‘‘ White-footed Antelope.” Onreferring to Pennant’s 
description and figure of this animal in his ‘ Synopsis of Quadrupeds,’ there 
can be no doubt whatever that they likewise refer to the Nilgai. They were 
taken, as the author informs us, from a pair of animals living at Clermont in 
1770. Following Pallas’s second name, a large number of authorities, as will 
be seen by our list of synonyms, have used pictus and picta as the specific 
name of the Nilgai; but, as we have already pointed out, tragocamelus is 
prior in point of date, and being also unquestionably applicable, should have 
the preference. 
Erxleben’s name “ albipes” and Zimmermann’s “ leucopus,” both founded 
on Pennant’s ‘“‘ White-footed Antelope,” have likewise been proposed for the 
present species, but are also both later in date. Again, in 1827, Hamilton 
Smith adopted “rista” as the specific name of the Nilgai on account of some 
fancied objection to the term prcta. But in this change few have been found 
to follow him. Finally, in 1836, Ogilby proposed to alter the name of the 
Nilgai to hippelaphus, because he thought it was the true Hippelaphus of 
Aristotle. This is possibly the case, but it does not necessitate the 
suggested change of the specific term. 
As regards the generic name of the Nilgai, we have fortunately only two to 
choose from—JBoselaphus of De Blainville, published in 1816, and Portagx of 
Hamilton Smith, proposed in 1827. Of these two, according to the rules of 
Zoological Nomenclature, we employ the oldest ; and the scientific name of the 
Nilgai consequently becomes Loselaphus trayocamelus, as was first adopted 
by Sclater in 1883. 
Before proceeding further we must call attention to the excellent 
account of the Nilgai read before the Royal Society in 1774 by the 
great physiologist and physician William Hunter and published, along 
with an excellent figure of the animal by Stubbs, in the 61st volume 
of the ‘ Philosophical Transactions, from which we make the following 
extracts :— 
“ Among the riches which of late years have been imported from India may be 
reckoned a fine animal, the Nyl-ghau ; which, it is to be hoped, will now be propagated 
in this country, so as to become one of the most useful, or at least one of the most 
ornamental beasts of the field. It is larger than any ruminant of this country, except 
the ox ; its flesh probably will be found to be delicious; and, if it should prove docile 
VOL LV. 0 
