107 
impale itself on the horns (which, nevertheless, often happens), and by its feints so to 
delay the quarry that the horsemen are able to come up with it. But the favourite 
chase is by. both bird and dog. The birds are first swung off at the Gazelle, and make 
repeated swoops, while the greyhound gains upon it and seizes it. With a well-trained 
bird the poor beast can rarely escape in this chase, unless he have a long start of the 
hunter. The flesh of the Gazelle, though of high repute, we did not find so savoury as 
that of the wild goat. Indeed it was generally very dry and always lean, but our taste 
is not that of the Arabs.” 
In the desert country east of the Jordan, Canon Tristram tells us, the 
Dorcas Gazelle is replaced by the Arabian Gazelle (G. arabica) ; but a Gazelle, 
probably of this species, is found in the Syrian Desert north of Damascus, as 
testified by many writers. 
In his interesting volume on ‘ Palmyra and Zenobia,’ Dr. William Wright, 
describing his journey between Damascus and Palmyra, says :— 
“We passed several gazelle-traps near Karyetan. Little walls converge to a field 
from a great distance, increasing in height as they approach the field. The field is walled 
round, leaving gaps at intervals, outside of which there are deep pits. The Gazelles, led 
on by curiosity, and guided by the little walls, march boldly into the field, and when 
they are startled, they rush out wildly in a panic, at the breaches, and tumble into the 
pits. Sometimes forty or fifty are taken out of a pit alive at one time.” 
But, as we are informed in the valuable papers on the Mammals of Asia 
Minor published by Messrs. Danford and Alston in the Zoological Society’s 
‘Proceedings’ for 1877 and 1880, the Dorcas Gazelle ranges far north of 
Syria. Danford states that it is “not uncommon” on the plain of Tchukurova 
and about Tarsus and Adana in the south-east of Asia Minor, and that it is 
“common ” in the wooded valley of the Pyramus on the plain of Bazardjik 
and extends thence into the stony wooded uplands on the right bank of the 
Northern Euphrates. 
When taken young, the Dorcas Gazelle is easily tamed and becomes very 
docile and affectionate. Itis frequently kept in captivity by the Arabs and 
thus passes into the hands of Europeans who visit the Kast. As will be seen 
by reference to the Zoological Society’s List of Animals, specimens of this 
species reach the Gardens every year. But they cannot be said to thrive in 
the climate of England, where they miss the bright sun and dry air of their 
native deserts, and seldom produce young. 
The series of examples of this Gazelle in the National Collection 
is by no means a full one, and wild-killed examples with ascertained 
localities from different parts of its range are much wanted. At the present 
P2 
