Part 35

From Nyasaland, so far as we can make out, Lichtenstein’s Antelope extends northwards to the plains of the Wami River opposite Zanzibar, where Sir John Kirk procured specimens, which are now in his collection. In the hills of Usagara, north-east of this district, B. lichtensteini is replaced by B. cokei, as already mentioned in our article on the latter species. Herr P. Matschie, of Berlin, considers the Hartebeest of German East Africa, which he says extends as far north as the Pangani River, to be different from B. lichtensteini (although he admits that the horns of the two species very closely resemble each other), and proposes to call it B. leucoprymnus. We are not, however, with due respect to Herr Matschie’s views, yet prepared to recognize B. leucoprymnus as distinct from B. lichtensteini, though we fully admit the possibility of being obliged hereafter, by future evidence, to alter our opinion on this point.

Skull of Bubalis lichtensteini, ♂.

(Brooke.)]

The main distinguishing feature of Lichtenstein’s Hartebeest is the short and thick basal portion of its horns, which induces us to place it in a section by itself, and which renders it easily recognizable from the seven preceding species of this genus. This character is well shown in the accompanying woodcuts (figs. 6 a and 6 b). Figure 6 a, prepared under the superintendence of Sir Victor Brooke, shows the skull of a male of this species; fig. 6 b, p. 50 (which has been kindly lent to us by the Zoological Society of London) represents, as we now believe, the skull of a female, though originally supposed by Mr. Crawshay to belong to a young male.

Skull of Bubalis lichtensteini, ♀.

(P. Z. S. 1890, p. 662.)]

Our coloured figure of this Antelope (Plate V.) was prepared by Mr. Smit from a male specimen (now in the British Museum) which was shot on the River Sabi by Mr. Selous in July 1885. Besides this, the National Collection contains a stuffed female from the same locality, and a series of skulls and skins from Nyasaland, transmitted by Mr. H. H. Johnston, C.B., F.Z.S., and other specimens from the Manica plateau (Selous) and Usagara (Kirk).

May, 1894.

GENUS II. DAMALISCUS.

Type.

Damalis, =Gray=, Ann. Mag. N. H. (1) xviii. p. 233 (1846), et auctorum plurimorum, nec Ham. Sm. =D. LUNATUS.=

Damaliscus, nomen novum =D. PYGARGUS.=

Similar in most essential characters to Bubalis, but distinguished by the frontals being quite normal, and not drawn upwards and backwards to form a horn-support. As a result the parietal surface of the skull faces upwards instead of backwards, and is easily visible between the horns in a vertical view of the skull.

The horns practically form a single simple or slightly lyrate curve in all the species, except D. hunteri, and in this, although there is a double sigmoid curve, no approximation is shown to the peculiarly abrupt double curvature characteristic of Bubalis.

Range of the Genus. Africa south of the Atlas.

As in the previous genus, the species of Damaliscus, seven in number, may be divided into groups based on the curvature and direction of the horns, as follows:--

A. Horns with a double curve, slanting outwards and upwards, then bending slightly downwards almost at once, while their long points are again directed upwards 1. D. hunteri.

B. Horns evenly curved backwards or slightly lyrate; the tips only recurved upwards.

a. No white blaze on face 2, 3, 4. D. korrigum, D. tiang, D. jimela.

b. Face with a white blaze 5, 6. D. pygargus, D. albifrons.

C. Horns starting laterally outwards, with a single lunate curve upwards and backwards 7. D. lunatus.

THE BOOK OF ANTELOPES. PL. VI.

Smit Lith. Hanhart imp.

Hunter’s Antelope

DAMALISCUS HUNTERI.

Published by R. H. Porter]

9. HUNTER’S ANTELOPE.

DAMALISCUS HUNTERI (SCL.).