FOREST AND STREAM 
[IStov. 7, 1903. 
Eland for Australia? 
The largest and most bovine of the antelopes is the 
African eland {Oreas caima), formerly abundant on the 
high dry plains of Southern Africa, but now extinct in 
Cape Colony, Natal, the Orange Free States, the Trans- 
vaal, and almost exterminated in all the countries to 
the west of the land of the Matabele watered by the river 
Limpopo or its tributaries. At one locality in Natal, 
however, it still exists, and there is carefully preserved. 
The reason for its extinction is found in the value of 
its hide, and the animal has been persistently pursued for 
it, and in its southern range has been exterminated 
just as was our buffalo. 
The male eland stands not quite six feet high at (he 
withers, and his horns are 2^ feet long. The general 
color is a bright yellow tan, the elands from some dis- 
tricts having white stripes on the sides, which remind 
one of the harnessed antelope of Africa. 
The name eland obviously comes from the word elk-, 
as suggested by Schweinfurth, who adds : "But, however 
little, as far as regards either the color of its coat or the 
shape of its horns, the Oreas may have in common with 
the elk, still I must confess that by its size it could not 
do otherwise than remind one of the 
stately game of my Livonian home ; 
and the shaggy hair hanging in full 
crop from the neck, the bushy 
bristles on the forehead, and above 
all the thick black mane upon the 
withers, all combined to increase 
the resemblance. Far more sriking, 
however, is the analogy of this ani- 
mal with the zebu races of Africa, 
which exhibit many points that arc 
common to the wdiole type of ante- 
lope. The short leg, the elevated 
long body, the long hanging dew- 
lap, the hump-shaped withers, and 
the light bay color of the skin are 
characteristics of this race that 
justify a comparison of the eland 
with them, far more than with the 
elk." 
The eland is still found sparingly 
throughout the Mozambique Prov- 
ince, and is numerous in Portuguese 
Northern Zambesia, and still more 
so in the Ruo and Lower Shire dis- . 
tricts of British Central Africa. In 
these regions the striped form 
known as Livingston's eland is the 
one commonly met with, although 
this striping is not constant, for in 
the same districts some elands are 
striped and others not. The females 
and young animals may be of 
various shades of j^ellow dun and 
tawny, the bulls being much darker, 
almost a blue. During the dry 
season these antelope go in large 
herds, but during the rainy season 
are more frequently found in pairs 
or small herds of five or six. 
In Central Africa elands frequent 
the open forests, but during the 
heat of the day usually lie up in the 
thick grass jungles. They are eager 
feeders, and after the rains become 
very fat, so that Mr. Vaughan 
Kirby declares that at this time the 
flesh is not surpassed by that of 
any wild game. The calves are 
born, according to latitude, between 
August and November, which, of 
course, is the spring season there. 
Mr. Vaughan Kirby shot a bull in 
Chirimani's country which measured 
S feet 10^ inches at the shoulder. 
As to the hunting of this species 
by the natives, it is said: "Of all 
the antelope the eland, especially the 
male, is the most lusty and well fed, 
its heart having been known to be 
imbedded in a mass of fat weighing 
twenty-five pounds; the animal is 
consequently generally so short 
breathed that it can be readily over- 
taken or speared. The Masarwas 
are very fleet footed and skillful in 
handling their assagais so as to 
mortally wound the heart or lungs. 
Mounted Dutch and English hun- 
ters chase the elands in the same 
way as giraffes right up to their 
wagons, whei-e they shoot them down, thus sparing them- 
selves the trouble of having to transport the skins or 
carcasses from the hunting grounds. I have been told 
by hunters and natives, and I think it quite credible, that 
without any great difficulty elands may be tamed and 
trained to draw or carry light burdens." 
With this we print the head of an eland, which we owe 
to the courtesy of the Ward's Natural Science Establish- 
ment at Rochester. A small bovine animal now to be 
seen at the New York Zoological Park, known as Anoa 
dcpressicornis, somewhat resembles the eland in general 
characteristics, although very much smaller. Within a 
few days the Zoological Society has received, as noted in 
la.st week's Forest and Stream, a splendid bull eland, 
said to weigh about 2,000 pounds. It may now be seen 
there with many other African antelopes. " 
It is reported that an effort is to be made to introduce 
the eland in Australia, the Province of Queensland having 
been chosen. Queensland has vast areas of brush land, 
which is practically useless on account of the lack of 
water, and it has been thought that the elands might do 
W€ll there, for it is a popular belief that they can get 
along without water. Mr. Vaughan Kirby savs : "They 
are almost uidependent of water, for I have found them 
ni absolutely dry tracts of great extent; nevertheless if 
water is at hand, they invariably drink at least once a 
day." Mr. Charles J. Copley advises us that the Earl of 
Derby, who is said to possess 4,000 elands, has given 
Queensland 1,000 of these animals, and has paid the ex- 
penses of their transportation thither. 
Lower California Mammals. 
In 1902 Mr. Edmund lieller, collector for the Field 
Columbian Mu.seum, made a trip into the San Pedro 
Martir and Hansom Laguna Mountains and along th'^ 
neighboring coast region of Lower California for the pur- 
pose of gathering material for the museum. His trip 
began in February, 1902, and was made with pack ani- 
mals. The country which he entered is unsettled, and 
it is necessary to carry supplies in considerable quantity, 
since nothing can be bought. A Mexican law provides 
that all persons bringing guns into Lower California nnist 
return every sixty days to the port of entry, and there 
liaye their iierniils to bear arms renewed. It may l)e im- 
agined that such a law would lie a tremendous handicap 
to any one who wished to explore the long peninsula of 
Lower California. Burros do not travel rapidly, and the 
distance which they can cover in thirty days i.s not greit. 
However, on his first return to Ensenada, Mr. Heller 
learned that a special permit had been issued to him by 
the Secretary of State of Mexico, permitting him to carry 
arms without any time limit being mentioned, wherever 
he might chose to go in Mexico. He was therefore 
enabled to turn about and devote the remainder of the 
THE ELAND (Oreas canna.) 
Specimen from Moshonaland. 
year to collecting. He made considerable explorations, 
and collected a very valuable series of mammals botli 
from the mountain and the coast region, bringing out 
more material than has probably been collected before in 
this particular region by anj'one. Mr. Heller's descrip- 
tion of the country is quite full, and his report accom- 
panies Dr. Elliott's paper, which is based on the collec- 
tions here made, and forms No. 12 of Vol. III. of the 
Zoological Series of the Publications of the Field 
Columbian Museum. The paper bears date June, 1903. 
Among the specimens secured is a 3'oung male mule deer 
of two or three years, which has a pure white tail with 
a black tip. Heretofore the specimens killed in this 
region have all been attributed to Caton's California mule 
deer, and this specimen remains unique for the region. 
It^ was killed in the low lands near San Quentin. Although 
killed on the 4th of August, the horns are dark and hard, 
as if _ the velvet had been shed for some time, and the 
coat is that of autumn. 
A large number of specimens — fourteen in all, chiefly 
killed in the mountains — are referred to Caton's Cali- 
fornia mule deer. These are of all ages and sizes, and 
appear to average smaller than the common mule deer. 
A single antelope, belonging to the form described by 
Dr. Merriam as Antilocapra americana mexicana, was 
taken near the Gulf of San Feleipe, Gulf of California, 
and the animals are said to be not rare, though, on the 
other hand, they are not numerous. "The Indians report 
seeing as many as fifteen occasionally in a band." 
Of the mountain sheep of Lower California, thirteen 
specimens were taken. Many of our readers will remem- 
ber the graphic account of sheep hunting in this same 
region entitled, "To the Gulf of Cortez," published years 
ago in Forest and Stream by Mr. Geo. H. Gould. It was 
subsequently reprinted in the volume of the Boone and 
Crockett book entitled, "Hunting in Many Lands." That 
account was of very high interest, and it is gratifying 
again to read of the sheep inhabiting this special 
region. 
Of these sheep. Dr. Elliott says : "I refer all these 
specimens to the form described by Dr. Merriam from 
the Grape Vine Mountains, boundary line of Nevada and 
California, with some doubt. It is very difficult, merely 
from a brief description, to determine with any certainty 
whether two closely allied individuals from widely 
separated localities are of the same species or not, and 
as there are already too many named forms of mountain 
sheep, I have no desire to introduce another doubtful one, 
and for the present, at all events, prefer to retain these 
sjiecimens under the above name, until they can be com- 
pared with topotypes of the race named by Dr. Merriam,. 
and a satisfactory decision be reached. The San Pedro 
Martir sheep is a small animal, with all the under parts, 
except a small wite patch on the inguinal region and front 
part of fore and hind legs, blackish 
brown. White rump patch very, 
large and not divided in the middle." 
Mr. Fleller's notes on this species 
are as follows : 
"Common about the cliffs, coming 
down occasionally to the water 
holes in the valley. Most of the ' 
sheep observed were either solitary 
or in small bands of three to a 
dozen. Only one adult ram was 
seen, all the others, about thirty, be- 
ing ewes or lambs. The largest 
bunch seen consisted of eleven, 
mostly ewes and a few young rams. 
The sheep, as a rule, inhabit the 
middle line of cliffs, where they are 
safe from attack above, and can 
watch the valley below for danger. 
Here about the middle line of cliffs 
they are observed, and the greater 
number of tracks and dust wallows 
where they spend much of their 
time were seen. A few were seen 
on the level stretches of the mesas, 
and a considerable number of 
tracks, but these were made by those 
traveling from one line of cliffs to 
another. They are constantly on 
guard, and very little of their time 
is given to browsing. Their usual 
method is to feed about some high 
cliffs or rocks, taking an occasional 
mouthful of brush and then sud- 
denly throwing up the head and 
gazing and listening for a long time 
before again taking food. They are 
not alarmed by scent, like deer and 
antelope, the direction of the wind 
apparently making no difference in 
hunting them. A small bunch of 
six were observed for a considerable 
time feeding. Their method seemed 
to be much the same as individuals, 
except that when danger was sus- 
pected by any member he would 
give a few quick leaps and all the 
ffock would scamper to some high 
rock and face about in various 
directions, no two looking the same 
way. These maneuvers were often 
performed, perhaps once every fif- 
teen minutes. Their chief enemy is 
the mountain lion, which hunts 
them on the cliffs, apparently never 
about watering places. Lion tracks 
were not rare about the sheep runs. 
They are extremely wary about 
coming down for water, and take 
everj^ precaution. Before leaving the 
cliffs to cross the valley to water, 
they usually select some high ridge 
and descend along this, gazing con- 
stantly at the spring, usually halting 
ten or more minutes on every 
prominent rocky point. When 
within a hundred yards or less of 
the water, a long, careful search is 
. made, and a great deal of ear-work 
performed, the head being turned 
first to one side and then to the 
other. When they do at last satisfy themselves, they 
make a bolt, and drink quickly, stopping occasionally to 
listen and look for danger. If, however, they should 
be surprised at the water, they do not flee at once, but 
gaze for some time at the intruder, and then go a short 
way and take another look, and so on until they break 
into a steady run for the cliffs. At least thirty sheep were 
observed at the water, and none came before 9:30 A. M. 
or later than 2 130 P. M., most coming down between 
12 P. M. This habit has probably been established to 
avoid lions, which are seldom about during the hottest 
part of the day. A few ewes were seen with two lambs, 
but the greater number had only one. Most of the 
young appeared about two months old. Their usual .gait 
was a short gallop, seldom a walk or trot." 
Of rats, mice, gophers, jumping rats and rabbits, Mr. 
Heller collected many specimens. Wildcats were obtained 
belonging to the California Bay lynx type, and three 
species of coyotes, one of them new and named by Dr. 
Elliott Canis clepticus. The California form of the gray 
fox was taken, with some small skunks, shrews and bats. 
This collection has j'ielded several new forms, described 
by Dr. Elliott. 
Besides the species taken, there have been found in the 
region the puma, or cougar, whose tracks were often 
seen, and which is said to prey on deer, sheep, and young- 
stock; the raccoon, skunk, weasel, the sea otter — said to 
be now very rare off the coast near San Quentin, but to 
be occasionally taken — the sea lion, and a seal. The paper 
is illustrated by plates of scenery and a sketch map. 
