Part 34

Antilope isidis, =Sund.= Pecora, K. Vet.-Ak. Handl. 1845, p. 267 (1847); id. Hornschuch’s Transl., Arch. Skand. Beitr. ii. p. 263; Reprint, p. 83 (1848).

Height at withers about 25 inches. General colour pale fawn, rather variable in tone, sometimes tending towards brownish. Light lateral band very indistinct; dark band generally fawn like the back, occasionally darker, almost smoky brown. Central dark facial band deep rufous, a darker nasal patch often developing in old individuals. Light facial streak well defined, white. Pygal band almost obsolete, little or not darker than the back.

Skull rather variable in the shapes of the nasal bones and premaxillæ. That of a male measures 6·55 inches in basal length, greatest breadth 3·1, muzzle to orbit 3·65.

Horns of male, as well figured by Blanford under the name of G. dorcas, evenly diverging and curving backwards for four-fifths their length, their tips strongly bent inwards and upwards nearly or quite to a right angle.

Female. Similar to the male, but the horns slender, scarcely ridged, their tips curved inwards rather than upwards; in length nearly equal to those of the male.

Hab. Coast-lands of the Red Sea from Suakin to Massoua, and over the interior to Bogos, Barca, and Taka.

It is possible that the Gazelles described and figured by Lichtenstein in the first part of his ‘Darstellung der Thiere’ as “Antilope dorcas,” which were stated to have been procured by Hemprich and Ehrenberg in Sennaar, may have belonged to the present species. Sundevall certainly considered them to be referable to a species distinct from the true Gazella dorcas, and proposed to call them “isidis,” from Lichtenstein’s vernacular name “Isis Antelope.” But this identification is by no means certain, and, at all events, the name “isabella,” under which this Gazelle was shortly diagnosed by the late Dr. Gray in 1846, will take precedence of Sundevall’s appellation. Gray’s description is very short, and does not allude to the shape of the horns, which are one of the most characteristic features of this species. His type specimen is still in the British Museum. It is an immature male, mounted, and stated to have been received from “Abyssinia,” though Gray in later papers gives “Egypt” and “Cordofan” as the localities for his G. isabella.

Heuglin, in his various memoirs on the Antelopes of N.E. Africa, did not keep G. isabella separate from G. dorcas, and united their localities. Sir Victor Brooke, in his monograph of the Gazelles, though he divides them and says that “amongst the smaller Gazelles no two species could produce two more dissimilar animals than typical specimens of G. dorcas and G. isabella,” states his conviction that “every intermediate degree between them will be found represented in intermediate localities.” It is indeed true that G. isabella is a very inconstant species and requires further careful study.

There can be no doubt that Dr. Blanford’s Gazella dorcas, in his volume on the ‘Geology and Zoology of the Abyssinian Expedition,’ is what we here call G. isabella. The figure of its horns (op. cit. plate i. fig. 1) shows the characteristic twist inwards at the upper end. Moreover, a skull of a male (from Zoulla) and a skull and skin of a female (from Amba), obtained by him during the expedition, and now in the British Museum, are evidently referable here. Mr. W. L. Sclater has also catalogued four heads in the Calcutta Museum, obtained by Mr. Blanford on the same occasion, as G. Isabella. Mr. Blanford gives us the following field-notes on the present species:--

“So far as my observation extends, neither this nor Bennett’s Gazelle are ever seen in large flocks, like the animals of the Springbok group. Usually both are seen solitary or in parties of from two to five together, inhabiting thin bushes, generally on broken ground. They feed much upon the leaves of bushes. The male has a peculiar habit when surprised of standing still and uttering a short sharp cry. Like most Antelopes, they keep much to the neighbourhood of some particular spot. After long observation, I am convinced that Bennett’s Gazelle never drinks, and all that I could ascertain of the present Gazelle leads to the same conclusion in its case.”

In our efforts to obtain further information about the Isabella Gazelle, we did not fail to apply to the officers of the Anglo-Egyptian garrison at Suakin for a set of specimens of it for the National Collection. In reply to our requests Major Sparkes, Surgeon-Capt. Fleming, and Lieut. Carleton were kind enough to send to the British Museum five examples of it; but we cannot say that the examination of these specimens has enabled us altogether to understand this very difficult species. Of the five examples from that locality, three have and two have not a black nasal patch, while the dark lateral band in some is fairly distinct and in others almost obsolete. It is thus evident that these characters, of systematic importance elsewhere, are not, in G. isabella, even of local constancy.

Among the Gazelles registered in the Zoological Society’s ‘List of Animals’ (1896) as received during the past twelve years there have been several which, doubtless, should have been referred to the present species, but have been entered under Gazella dorcas. Amongst these may be specified an example presented by Commander W. Crofton, R.N., in July 1890 (specimen e), a female presented by Col. Holled Smith, C.B., in July 1892 (specimen g), and a pair (h, i) received on deposit in May 1894.

After the arrival of these specimens from Suakin, Mr. A. Thomson, the Head-Keeper, called Sclater’s attention to their differences from the ordinary G. dorcas. They were of a more reddish colour, and had a broad and somewhat distinct side-stripe and a blackish nasal spot, in addition to other smaller differences.

Besides the specimens of this Gazelle in the British Museum which we have already referred to, there is a mounted male from the Anseba River, formerly in Sir Victor Brooke’s collection, and presented to the Museum by Sir Douglas Brooke. We believe that our coloured figure (Plate LXIV.), which was prepared by Mr. Smit under Sir Victor’s superintendence, was taken from this specimen.

May, 1898.

Fig. 69a.

Heads of Isabella Gazelle, ♂ & ♀.

(From specimens in B. M.)]

THE BOOK OF ANTELOPES, PL. LXV

Wolf del. J. Smit lith. Hanhart imp

The Muscat Gazelle.

GAZELLA MUSCATENSIS.

Published by R. H. Porter.]

95. THE MUSCAT GAZELLE.

GAZELLA MUSCATENSIS, BROOKE.

Gazella muscatensis, =Brooke=, P. Z. S. 1874, p. 141, pl. xxii.; =Scl.= List An. Z. S. (8) p. 141 (1883); =id.= (9) p. 155 (1896); =Lyd.= Horns and Hoofs, p. 179 (1893); =Thos.= P. Z. S. 1894, p. 451.

Size small, height at withers 21–22 inches. General colour dark rufous fawn, darker than in any other species except G. arabica, which it much resembles in colour. Light lateral band scarcely or not perceptible; dark lateral band blackish, its upper edge little defined. Central facial band dark rufous, a distinct blackish patch over the nasals; light facial streak narrow, well defined, dark band below it not defined from the general colour of the cheeks. Knee-tufts present, brownish. Limbs darker in colour than usual, being only white on the inner sides of the forearms and thighs.

Skull very similar to that of G. isabella. Premaxillæ scarcely touching nasals. Basal length in an old female 5·7 inches, greatest breadth 2·9, muzzle to orbit 3·6.