Part 37

In 1847, in his excellent essay on the “Pecora,” the late Professor Carl J. Sundevall established an “Antilope lævipes” basing it primarily on the figures of Geoffrey St.-Hilaire and Fr. Cuvier in the ‘Histoire Naturelle des Mammifères,’ of which we have already spoken. It is obvious, therefore, that Sundevall’s term “lævipes” is an absolute synonym of “rufifrons,” though he gives as his principal example a specimen from Sennaar in the Stockholm Museum. But, nevertheless, there would appear to be a closely allied species living in East Africa, which Heuglin, in his first work (‘Antilopen und Büffel’), referred to Antilope leptoceros, but which he subsequently in 1877 (‘Reise in Nordost-Afrika’) treated of under Sundevall’s name “Antilope lævipes.” Heuglin states that this Gazelle, of which the native name is “Abu-el-Harabat,” is found in Nubia, Kordofan, Sennaar, and Taka, as also near Suakin and on the plains of the Beni Amer, ascending to a height of about 1500 feet above the sea-level. Heuglin specially alludes to the want of knee-tufts in his Antilope lævipes, which is the case also in Gazella rufifrons. What this East-African Antelope of Sundevall and Heuglin may be we are quite unable to decide, not having been able to examine East-African specimens. It is possible, however, that it may be Gazella rufina, which we shall presently speak of.

Of the examples of this Gazelle formerly in the Knowsley Menagerie we have already written. The Zoological Society of London have also, on several occasions, received living examples of this species from the West Coast of Africa. The first of these recorded of late years was purchased in August 1865, and the second, a female, in 1869. In June 1895 a female Gazella rufifrons was placed under the Society’s care by the Hon. W. Rothschild, F.Z.S., and is still living in the Gardens. In May of last year a fine living pair of this species were received by the Zoological Society from a London dealer and subsequently purchased. It is from this pair that the accompanying figures of both sexes of this beautiful Gazelle (Plate LXVII.) have been prepared by Mr. Smit. These animals are still living in the Society’s Gardens. They stand about 24 inches in height at the shoulder, the male being slightly the taller of the two. Both male and female have a slight blackish nose-spot, as shown in our figures. The knee-brushes are quite imperceptible in these three specimens, and the knees are perfectly smooth.

May, 1898.

98. THE RUFOUS GAZELLE.

GAZELLA RUFINA, THOS.

Gazella rufina, =Thos.= P. Z. S. 1894, p. 467 (fig., skull).

Antilope lævipes, =Sund.= K. Vet.-Ak. Handl. 1845, p. 266 (1847), form α, ex Sennaar; =id.= Hornschuch’s Transl., Arch. Skand. Beitr. ii. p. 262; Reprint, p. 82 (1848); =Heuglin=, Ant. u. Büff. N.O.-Afr. (N. Act. Leop. xxx. pt. 2) p. 6; =id.= Reise N.O.-Afr. ii. p. 100 (1877).

Antilope leptoceros, =Heugl.= Ant. u. Büff. p. 7 (err.).

Closely similar in all respects to G. rufifrons, but decidedly larger, the colour throughout particularly rich and brilliant. Light facial streaks not white but sandy, and little different to the general colour of the cheeks. In the single specimen known (a tanned skin), the hairs along the centre of the back and on the sides of the rump are peculiarly waved, but how far this may be due to the preparation of the skin we are unable to say. Knee-brushes dull rufous.

Skull conspicuously larger and heavier than that of G. rufifrons. Anteorbital fossæ larger and deeper. Nasal opening shorter and broader in proportion to the general size, and the upper line of the premaxillæ more curved. Basal length of the type, an old male, (circa) 8·05 inches, greatest breadth 3·86, muzzle to orbit 4·9.

Horns of male short and heavy, their curvature and proportional length about as in G. rufifrons; those of the type are 11·6 inches in length on their anterior curve.

Hab. Interior of Algeria (?).

After his return from Algeria in 1894, Sir Edmund Loder, as we have already stated, placed the whole of his series of specimens of Gazelles from that country in Thomas’s hands for examination. Besides examples of the two previously known Algerian species--Gazella dorcas and G. cuvieri--Thomas found that two other species, hitherto apparently unrecognized, were represented in the collection. Of one of these, which Thomas named G. loderi, we have treated under the head of G. leptoceros. Of the other, to which we now propose to refer, only a single specimen, consisting of a skin and a skull, was in the series. This, however, was of so entirely a different character from the three others above-mentioned that Thomas found it necessary to refer it to a new species, which he proposed to call G. rufina, from its generally bright, rich rufous colour. The specimen not having been obtained in the field, but having been purchased at a shop in Algiers (in the spring of 1877), cannot have any certain locality assigned to it; but in all probability it was brought from somewhere in the interior, as it is hardly likely that such an object would have been imported into Algiers from a distant country.

Skull of Rufous Gazelle.

(P. Z. S. 1894, p. 468.)]

There can be no doubt that, as stated above, Gazella rufina is most nearly allied to G. rufifrons of Senegal, from which, however, we have already stated its points of difference. Sir Edmund Loder has had a water-colour drawing of the typical specimen prepared by Smit, which has much assisted us in our study of it. It is obviously a larger and more richly coloured animal than G. rufifrons, and its skull, of which, by the kindness of the Zoological Society, we are enabled to give the figure that originally appeared in their ‘Proceedings’ (fig. 73, p. 168), is remarkable for its stout and heavy build and short nasal opening. The only conjecture we can make respecting this somewhat problematical species is that it may possibly be the same as Gazella lævipes of Sundevall and Heuglin from North-east Africa, of which we have spoken in our article on Gazella rufifrons. It may be remarked that Sundevall, in his account of Antilope lævipes (K. Vet.-Akad. Handl. 1845), has noted the existence, in the Paris Museum, of specimens from Algeria of a Gazelle which he considers identical with his species, form α (from Sennaar), and which he separates from form β (from Senegal) on account of the want of the blackish nose-spot. But even if such shall turn out eventually to be the case, the present species will still retain the name “rufina,”--“lævipes,” as we have already pointed out, being correctly treated of as a synonym of G. rufifrons.

Sir Edmund Loder has most liberally presented the typical specimen of Gazella rufina to the British Museum.

May, 1898.

THE BOOK OF ANTELOPES, PL. LXVIII

J. Smit lith. Hanhart imp.

Thomson’s Gazelle.

GAZELLA THOMSONI.

Published by R. H. Porter.]

99. THOMSON’S GAZELLE.

GAZELLA THOMSONI, GÜNTH.

Gazella thomsoni, =Günth.= Ann. Mag. N. H. (5) xiv. p. 427 (1884) (fig., horns); =Thomson=, Masai-land, p. 536 (1885) (fig., horns); =Hunter= in Willoughby, E. Africa, p. 289 (1889); =Ward=, Horn Meas. (1) p. 133 (1892), (2) p. 171 (1896); =True=, P. U.S. Nat. Mus. xv. p. 473, pl. lxxvii. (1892) (Taveta); =Lyd.= Horns and Hoofs, pp. 236, 239 (1893) (fig., horns); =Lugard=, E. Africa, i. p. 534 (1893); =Jackson=, in Badm. Big Game Shooting, i. pp. 285 & 298 (1894); =Scott Elliot=, P. Z. S. 1895, p. 340; =Matsch.= Säug. Deutsch-O.-Afr. p. 130 (1895); =Rhoads=, P. Ac. Philad. 1896, p. 519; =Jackson=, P. Z. S. 1897, p. 434.

Height at shoulders about 25 inches. General colour deep sandy rufous, all the markings well developed and sharply defined. Central facial band deeper rufous, a black patch present on the top of the muzzle. Light facial streaks pure white, extending quite to the muzzle and surrounding the eye; darker cheek-streaks blackish. Light lateral band present, though not very much paler than the back. Dark lateral band deep black, greatly developed, very broad, sharply defined above and below, extending on to the outer side of the elbow; no sandy streak between it and the white of the belly. Pygal band small, blackish. Ears rather short. Tail sandy at its base above, the remainder black. Knee-brushes present, sandy or whitish.

Skull with short, broad, and quadrangular nasals, nearly as broad as long; premaxillæ straight, scarcely concave above, broadly articulating with nasals. Basal length of skull of a male 7·7 inches, greatest breadth 3·6, muzzle to orbit 4·25.