57 
crest; rump white, in continuation with the dorsal line; tail also white 
basally, black and crested terminally. Belly pure white. Limbs fawn- 
coloured externally, white on their inner sides and behind. 
Skull-dimensions of a male :—Basal length 7:8 inches, greatest breadth 3:7, 
muzzle to orbit 4°7. 
Horns attaining a length of about 14 or 15 inches round the curves, one 
specimen being recorded as long as 19 inches. 
Female similar to male, but horns smaller and not so strongly ringed at 
the base. 
Hab. South Africa, south of the Zambesi, extending northwards on the 
west to Mossamedes. 
The Springbuck is, no doubt, very closely allied to the Gazelles; but in 
view of its peculiar dentition, which, as we have pointed out above (p. 53), is 
unique in the bovine family, and of the remarkable dorsal fold of skin, which 
is not found in any of its allies, we have thought it advisable to adopt for it 
the generic term Antidorcas, first provisionally suggested for it by Sundevall 
in 1847, and subsequently employed by many naturalists. ‘The locality of the 
Springbuck is also quite distinct from that of the typical Gazelles, which are 
essentially a northern group, no true Gazelle being met with until we 
advance as far north as German East Africa. 
This Antelope, with its bright colour and lively movements, as may be 
easily imagined, quickly attracted the notice of the early Dutch settlers at 
the Cape and received from them the appropriate name of “ Springbok,’ from 
the extraordinary springs and leaps which it makes in running. The first 
scientific account of it published appears to be that given by Allamand in 
Schneider’s edition of the ‘ Histoire Naturelle’ of Buffon, published at 
Amsterdam about 1778. In the fourth volume of the ‘Supplement’ of this 
rather rare work, for the privilege of consulting which we are much indebted 
to Sir Edmund Loder, will be found (under the head of an addition to the 
article on Gazelles issued in the twelfth volume of the original work) 
described and figured ‘‘ La Gazelle a bourse sur le dos,” as Allamand named 
the Springbuck. Allamand informs us that his figure and description (which 
unmistakably relate to this animal) were taken from a specimen then living 
in the menagerie of the Prince of Orange, which had been brought from the 
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