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Hab. Morocco and Algeria, and extending through Egypt into Palestine 
and Syria. 
Like other Antelopes known to Linneus, the Dorcas Gazelle was placed 
by the great founder of systematic nomenclature in the genus Capra, and 
called Capra dorcas. The specific term selected was taken from the Greek, 
in which language it signifies primarily a wild goat or fawn, and subsequently 
the name of a woman, being, as we know from a familiar passage in the New 
Testament, the equivalent of the Syriac “Tabitha.” The term ‘ dorcas,” 
however, according to good authorities, was also applied to the present animal 
by AKlian and other ancient writers. Linneus based his Capra dorcas upon 
the Gazella africana of Ray’s ‘Synopsis of Quadrupeds,’ which there can 
be little doubt was intended for the present species, although it has been 
supposed by some authors to be rather applicable to the Bubal (Bubalis 
boselaphus). 
In his memoir on the Antelopes, published at Berlin in 1767, Pallas placed 
Antilope dorcas eighth in the list, basing it on Buffon’s “ Za Gazelle,” 
which it is evident, both from the figure and the description, was taken from 
a specimen of the present animal. 
Besides “ La Gazelle” in the twelfth volume of his ‘ Histoire Naturelle,’ 
Buffon also described and figured another Antelope, ‘‘ Le Kevel,” of which 
he does not state the locality. Some authors have been disposed to refer 
Buffon’s Kevel to the larger Antelope of Algeria, which is generally called 
Gazella cuvierit. But Buffon’s description of the colour of the face and the 
length he attributes to the ears, as likewise his phrase that the Kevel is 
“plus petit que la Gazelle,” taken together form conclusive evidence against 
this view, and there can practically be no doubt that Buffon’s ‘‘ Kevel” was a 
small individual of Gazella dorcas. 
A third name invented by Buffon for one of the Gazelles, ‘‘ La Corine,” 
has likewise been the source of some confusion. His figure and description 
were taken from a female animal at one time living in the park of Saint 
Cloud, but its locality was not given. Owing to the fact that some horns, 
brought home by Adanson from Senegal, were subsequently referred to 
Buffon’s “ Corine,” the name Gazella corinna (founded upon Buffon’s 
‘“Corine”’) has been sometimes applied to the Gazella rufifrons of Senegal. 
But, so far as we can judge from Buffon’s figure and description, the real 
