98 
SAVAGE SUDAN 
Species. 
Roan antelope 
Sable „ 
Oryx beisa . 
Waterbuck . 
Eland . 
Koodoo 
In roan, moreover, the apparent length is further 
accentuated by a terminal tuft of hair exceeding an inch 
in length. These long tufted ears the animal habitually 
carries horizontally — according to my observation, all 
illustrations showing the ears erect, or partially so, are 
incorrect. While travelling home with the Hon. Gerald 
Legge, he drew my attention to the point, and I found at 
once that all my rough sketches of roan, drawn at sight, 
corroborated the point, save one. That exception purported 
to represent a pair intently gazing at me while already 
taking aim. In all probability the extreme forward cast 
of the ears—especially as viewed from a slightly lower 
level—unduly accentuated the apparent upward carriage. 
The following statement occurs in Darwin’s Origin of 
Species (p. 11):—“Not a single domestic animal can be 
named which has not in some country drooping ears ; and 
the view suggested by some authors that the drooping is 
due to the disuse of the muscles of the ear, from the 
animals not being much alarmed by danger, seems 
probable.” That, no doubt, may be correct; but the case 
of the roan antelope (and equally that of the addra 
gazelle) proves that the principle does not always apply 
to wild animals in a state of Nature. 
STALKING ROAN ANTELOPE 
(i) Meshra-el-Zeeaf, White Nile, 10-50° N. lat. 
The rising sun discovered us a mile inland. The 
country, thin bush with scattered patches of mimosa- 
forest, swarmed with wild-life. As we started, a spotted 
hyena trotted out in the gloom from among the huts of 
Length of Ear (Upper side). 
Male, 15 inches. 
„ 91 1, 
)> 
9 
)) 9 
>> 10 y> 
Female, 13 inches. 
» 9 i » 
» ,, 
„ 8 
