A FIRST PRIZE OF SUDAN 
151 
virtually an amphibian) the degree of elongation becomes 
almost grotesque; while, secondly, the long toes are also 
widely flexible—that is, provided with a power of lateral 
extension which, in effect, approximates to the wide- 
spreading toes of marsh-birds such as the jacanas, or 
even our common British waterhen—enabling these birds 
safely to traverse floating lily-leaves and such-like frail 
support. Thirdly, not only are the pasterns of these 
antelopes also elongated, but the under-surfaces—instead 
of being hair-clad, as in other animals-—are furnished with 
a naked horny substance, virtually a sort of pad as 
elastic as the rubber-tyres of an automobile! 
The combined effect of this triple adaptation— i.e., 
elongated hoofs and elongated pasterns, plus rubber- 
tyres to the latter — practically doubles or trebles the 
“bearing surfaces” of the hoofs upon their selected 
ground. And the merit of this adaptation becomes 
painfully demonstrated when the unequipped human 
biped seeks to compete with specialised creatures upon 
their own (abominable) domain of swamp and sudd. 
The following table (together with the sketches 
annexed, shows the respective degree of specialisation in 
each of these three groups of animals, namely (i) The 
“amphibian”; (2) the mere “bog-trotter ” ; 
dry-land cousin, thrice removed. 1 
and (3) their 
1. Limnotragus ( = “ Amphibian”) 
Situtunga .... 
Fore Hoof. 
7 inches. 
Hind Hoof. 
7| inches. 
2. Onotragus (= “ Bog-trotter ”) 
Saddle-backed lechwi . 
>> 
2 k 3 > 
3. Adenota ( = “ Dry-land Cousin 53 ) 
White-eared cob . 
I 16 >3 
*i j> 
The personal characters that, in the life, strike an 
observer as differentiating the lechwi from every other 
antelope in Sudan are, first the short cobby head, blunt, 
1 For assistance with these measurements I am indebted to Sir S. F. 
Harmer, F.R.S., Keeper of Zoology at the British Museum (Natural 
History), and to Messrs Rowland Ward. 
