ANTELOPES. 



33 



Antelopes, together with the Bongo (Boocercus) , the Elands [West 

 (Taurotragus), Kudus (Strepsiceros) , and the Indian Nilgai (Bos- Corridof.J 

 elaphus), constituting the Tragelaphince, and collectively presenting 

 the following characteristics. Except in the Elands and Bongo, 

 horns are present only in the males, and these are angulated, 

 generally spirally twisted, and without rings. The muzzle is 

 naked, small glands are present on the face below the eyes, and the 

 tail is comparatively long. The Bushbucks are closely allied to [CaselV.] 

 the Kudus, from which they chiefly differ by the spiral formed by 

 the horns generally having fewer turns. Many of them, such as 

 the widely spread T. scriptus (1201), are brilliantly coloured, the 

 ornamentation taking the form of vertical white lines and rows of 

 spots ; and in some cases the sexes often differ in colour, as in the 

 Nyala (T. angasi, 1202). Most of the species have hoofs of normal [Case V.] 

 shape, but in some, such as the Situtunga, or Nakong, Tragelaphus 

 XLimnotragus] spekei (1203, fig. 13), these are elongated, so as to 

 be adapted for walking in soft mud ; that animal spending most of 

 its time in water, where it stands among reeds with all but its head 

 The Bongo, an ^ noi ' ns submerged. The Bongo (Boocercus eury- 

 Genus ceros, 1204, fig. 14), of which there is a western and 

 Boocercus. an eastern race, differs by having horns in both sexes, 

 as well as by the tufted tail. It is even more brilliantly coloured 

 than the Bushbucks. The entire specimen exhibited belongs to 

 the eastern race, B. e. isaaci (1205), and was obtained by Mr. F. W. 

 Isaac, the discoverer of this race. 



Kudu. ^ ne two s P ec i es °f Kudu (Strepsice?*os) are nearly [Case 

 GenUS allied to the Bushbucks on the one hand, and to the 

 BtrepsicerOS. Elands on the other. From the former they are 

 distinguished chiefly by the more numerous turns in the spirals of 

 the horns of the male ; from the latter they differ— -among other 

 features — by the much more open spiral formed by the horns of 

 the male, and the absence of these appendages in the female. Both 

 species are characterised by the narrow vertical white stripes on the 

 body and the white markings on the face. The Greater or true Kudu 

 (Strepsiceros kudu, capensis, or strepsiceros, 1206, fig. 16), was 

 formerly widely distributed in South and East Africa, but in many 

 districts its numbers have now been greatly reduced. It is very 

 generally found in hilly country densely covered with thickets, but 



