ANTELOPES. 
285 
Kordofan, less common in the Central-Western Sudan, and also occurring in parts 
of Nubia. 
Extinct Forms. 
In the Pliocene deposits of various parts of Europe, there occur 
remains of antelopes closely allied to the oryx, some of which have 
been generically separated under the name of Palccoreas, and are said to show 
signs of affinity with the sable antelope and its kindred. 
The Sable Antelope and Roan Antelope. 
Genus Hippotragus. 
Roan Antelope. 
The sable and roan antelopes, together with some allied species, constitute an 
exclusively African genus nearly allied to the oryx. They are distinguished by 
the stout horns, which are ringed nearly to their tips, rising vertically from 
a ridge on the skull immediately over the eyes at an obtuse angle to the plane 
of the lower part of the face, and then curving in a bold sweep backwards. The 
neck is clothed with a distinct, erect, and often-recurving mane; the tail is rather 
short and distinctly tufted; and the ears are enormous. The horns of the females 
are shorter than those of the males. 
The roan or equine antelope (Hippotragus equinus )—the bastard 
gemsbok of the Boers—is represented in the right-hand figure of 
our illustration on next page, and is the largest and one of the best-known repre¬ 
sentatives of the genus, standing rather over feet at the withers. There is 
considerable individual variation in colour, some specimens, according to Mr. Selous, 
being of a strawberry roan, others of a deep dark grey or brown, and others again 
so light in colour as to appear almost white at a distance. The under-parts are 
but little lighter than the body, while the head and jaw have dark brown markings. 
The latter markings are characterised by the white streak in front of the eye 
being separated by a dark band from the white of the muzzle. The ears are very 
large, and the mane small and erect. The horns of the bull seldom exceed 
36 inches in length, measured along the curve, but specimens measuring 33 and 
42 inches have been recorded. This species has a large range in central South 
Africa, and has also been recorded from Senegal. Mr. Selous states that it is 
nowhere numerous, and it is seldom that as many as twenty are seen together. 
The blaubok (H. leucophcvus) was a smaller but nearly-allied 
species from the Cape, which now appears to be extinct. It derived its 
Dutch name from the bluish hue of the hairs, and its head was uniformly coloured. 
Perhaps the handsomest member of the genus is the sable 
antelope ( H. niger), represented in the left-hand figure of our 
illustration. This species is rather smaller than the roan antelope, but has much 
longer horns, smaller ears, and a longer and more abundant mane, which is partly 
pendent. With the exception of portions of the face, buttocks, and the under¬ 
parts, the fur is entirely of a deep glossy black; the contrast formed by the white 
of the under-parts being very striking; the markings on the face differ from those 
of the roan antelope in that the white streak in front of the eyes is continued 
to join the white of the muzzle, and is separated by a dark streak from that of 
Blaubok. 
Sable Antelope. 
