Part 16

The famous traveller and naturalist, Dr. Eduard Rüppell, of Frankfort-on-the-Main, whose name we have already frequently mentioned in this work, was the discoverer of this fine Antelope, which he met with in 1832 on the coast of the Red Sea west of Massowa, and subsequently described and figured in his ‘Neue Wirbelthiere.’ Rüppell called this animal “Beisa” after the native name by which it was known to the Arabs of the district, and at the same time attempted to identify it with an Antelope which he had heard of but not obtained seven years previously in Dongola, there known as the “Dammah.” But, as Heuglin has pointed out, it seems by no means certain that the “Beisa” of the coastland of Abyssinia is the same as the “Dammah” of Dongola. Although, therefore, the name “dammah” as will be seen by our list of synonyms, was published by Cretzschmar and Fischer before Rüppell’s “beisa” it would be neither just nor reasonable upon this uncertain plea to deprive Rüppell, who certainly supplied the first recognizable description of it, of the name of this species.

Rüppell informs us that the Beisa in his time (about 1832) was not uncommon in the low-country at the back of Massowa, and extended northwards along the coast to Suakin. It was usually found in small families in the flat valleys which are slightly grassed, and was said to be fleet and shy, being much persecuted by the Turkish soldiers then in garrison at Massowa.

Mr. W. T. Blanford, F.R.S., met with this Antelope in the same district during the Abyssinian Expedition of 1867–68, and, in his volume on the ‘Geology and Zoology of Abyssinia,’ writes as follows:—

“On returning from the interior I stopped for three days at a halting-place in the semi-desert north of Massowa, and succeeded in shooting four of these superb and rare Antelopes. All were females; but there is little, if any, difference in the sexes, both having equally fine horns.

“The Beisa is found singly or in small herds, rarely exceeding ten in number, in the somewhat hilly barren country near the sea- coast. They are said to keep to the more hilly parts of Samhar. Near Annesley Bay, where the country is more wooded, this Antelope does not occur, but it abounds farther south in the Somali country, and the horns are brought in considerable numbers to Aden and Berbera. They are used as weapons by the Somalis.

“The principal food of the Oryx near Massowa is a coarse grass, almost resembling a diminutive bamboo. They appear to be grazers rather than browsers, although, like all Antelopes, they occasionally eat the young shoots of Acacia and other trees. They are quite diurnal in their habits, feeding in the morning and evening, in this respect resembling the Gazelles, to which they are unquestionably closely allied. When we were in the Samhar country in July and August, the Oryx drank apparently every day, always coming to the water about one or two o’clock. It is probable that they drink less regularly in cold weather.

“The appearance of a herd of Oryx is very imposing. They are some of the most elegant and symmetrical of animals, their motions being those of a wild horse rather than of an Antelope. Their favourite pace appears to be either a steady quick walk or a trot; they rarely break into a gallop unless greatly alarmed. When frightened, they dash off, sometimes snorting and putting their heads down as if charging, raising their long tails, and looking very formidable. They are wary animals, though far less so than some other Antelopes.

“Like the Gazelles and true Antelopes, all equally inhabitants of deserts and open plains, the Oryx has a pointed foot, each of the divisions being rudely triangular. Its tracks may consequently be instantly distinguished from those of cattle or of any of the bovine Antelopes. So far as my acquaintance with the family goes, most of the forest and bush-hunting Antelopes—Koodoo, Nylgai, Tetraceros—have their feet formed like those of the Cervidæ, with rounded hoofs, whilst the Antelopes of the plain, and especially desert forms, have pointed hoofs.”

Heuglin met with this Antelope further south on the Danakil coast of the Red Sea, and also in Northern Somaliland, where he states that it resorts to the more open sandy districts beset with low bushes (Salvadora), occasionally retreating into the lower hills.

But in Somaliland we have excellent accounts of its habits and distribution from modern observers—of whom we will first quote Captain Swayne, the leading authority on the game-animals of that country.

Writing of the Antelopes in his ‘Seventeen Trips through Somaliland,’ Col. Swayne sums up his great experience of the Beisa as follows:—

“The Oryx of Somaliland is a very stoutly-built, bovine Antelope, standing as high as a donkey, and inhabits open stony ground, or barren hills, or open grass plains. It is fairly common and very widely distributed over the Somali country, and it may be found in all kinds of country except in the thick jungle with aloe undergrowth (which is so much liked by the Lesser Koodoo), and the cedar-forests on the higher ranges. The best Oryx ground is in the Haud and in Ogádén.

“The Oryx feeds chiefly on grass, and is often found very far from water. It has a keen sight, and probably protects itself more by this than by its sense of hearing or scent. Oryxes are found in herds of from half a dozen to thirty or forty, chiefly composed of cows. Bull Oryxes are found wandering singly all over the country, and possibly these make up in number for the preponderance of cows in the herds.

“Sometimes two or three cows with growing calves will be found together, making up a small herd of half a dozen. It is nearly impossible to distinguish which are the bulls in a herd, and they are so few in proportion to the cows that it is best, if shooting for sport alone, not to fire at a herd at all. The bull is slightly thicker in the neck and higher in the withers than the cow; and the horns, though an inch or two shorter in the bull, are more massive, especially about the base, and more symmetrical, whilst the cow’s horns are frequently bent and of unequal length. The Oryx is often revengeful when wounded and brought to bay; twice I have seen a wounded one make a determined charge into a mob of Somális armed with spears.

“The Midgáns, who are armed with bows and poisoned arrows, hunt the Oryx with packs of savage yellow pariah-dogs. The thick skin round the withers of a bull is made by them into a white gáshan or fighting shield. The method of hunting, as carried out by the Midgáns in the Bulhár Plain, is as follows:—Three or four of them, with about fifteen dogs, go out just before dawn, and walk along silently through the scattered thorn-trees till fresh tracks are found, and these are followed till the game is sighted. By throwing stones, whistling, and other signs which the dogs understand, they are shown the herd, and settle down to their work. The dogs run mute, the men following at a crouching trot, which in a Somáli is untiring; and this lasts until the dogs open in chorus, having brought the game to bay. The Oryxes make repeated charges at the dogs, which, they often wound or kill. If the latter can avoid the sharp horns of the mother they fasten on to a calf, and sometimes the whole herd will charge to the rescue. The Midgáns run up silently under cover of the bushes and let off a flight of poisoned arrows into the herd, which, seeing the human enemy, takes to flight. Frequently an animal wounded by a poisoned arrow takes a line of its own, and is in due time carefully followed up and found dead, or it may be pulled down in its weak state by the dogs,”

Mr. D. G. Elliot, in his report on the collection of the Mammals of Somaliland made for the Field-Columbian Museum of Chicago in 1896, writes of the Beisa as follows:—

“Oryxes are not often seen in the country north of the Golis Range, but their numbers increase as the Haud is traversed, and on the south of Toyo and in Ogaden they are plentiful. At a distance it is impossible to distinguish the bulls from the cows, as both carry horns, those of the cows more slender and usually longer than the average of bulls’ horns. But this difference in size is not perceptible unless one is very close to the animals. The horns are annulated for two-thirds their length, then become smooth, and end in a sharp point. The average lengths of bulls’ horns are not much over 30 inches, although occasionally specimens are obtained that are several inches longer, and the cows’ horns sometimes reach a length of 37 or 38 inches. They are very formidable weapons, and it is dangerous to approach a wounded Oryx. In charging its enemy the Oryx puts its head low down between its fore legs, with the horns pointed forward not much above the ground, and rushes at the object of its hate with much swiftness. These lance-like horns are quite capable of passing entirely through the body of an animal. Oryxes seem to be quite independent of water, and are often seen many miles from any place where it could be procured. They frequent the waterless, treeless plains, such as Toyo, Silo, &c., in herds sometimes of large size, and subsist upon the harsh dry grass common in such localities. The skin of a bull is very thick on the neck and withers, in, some cases as much as three-quarters of an inch through. The natives select this part of the hide to make their shields, which are sufficiently tough to stop any spear or arrow. As the bulls are very pugnacious, no doubt their tough thick hides are a great protection against the lance-like horns, and save them from being run through this vital portion of the body.”

Mr. Elliot’s expedition brought home twelve specimens of the Beisa of both sexes and of various ages from the Toyo Plain, Hullier, Bodeleh, the Silo Plain, the Haud, and the Ogaden Country. But he tells us that this fine animal is already practically extinct north of the Golis Range, and can only be found in any numbers in the southern portion of the Haud and in the country beyond.

Mr. J. Benett Stanford, F.Z.S., a well-known sportsman in Somaliland, tells us a curious story about this Antelope. On one occasion when shooting in that country he killed a female Beisa, and, leaving his men to skin her, went on in pursuit of other game. On his return to the camp, late in the afternoon, he found a young Beisa frolicking about, and was greeted by one of the party with the words “How did you catch it?” It appeared that the men had cut the young animal out from the dead mother, and found it perfectly formed in every respect. This young Antelope lived with the caravan for several months, and was eventually killed by an accident.

The following extract from Capt. Francis B. Pearce’s recently published ‘Rambles in Lion-Land’ will show that, notwithstanding the persecutions of the numerous sportsmen who now visit the Somaliland Protectorate every winter, the Beisa is as yet by no means an extinct animal in the interior of that attractive country:—

“We struck camp after having spent a very successful week on the Tyuli Hills, and turned our faces south en route for the zebra- country. Shortly after leaving camp I saw the largest herd of Oryx I have ever seen. It is a difficult matter to estimate the number of a herd of animals unless one possesses some education in that line, but at the lowest estimate there could not have been less than five hundred head. This enormous herd galloped past us at a distance of a little over two hundred yards. It was a beautiful sight to watch. With glistening coats and horns laid back, they tore past. Both J—— and I were too fascinated to think of firing.”

The Beisa is well known in the Zoological Gardens of Europe, and has bred in captivity on more than one occasion. The first living example of this Antelope (a male) was received by the Zoological Society of London, as a present from Admiral Cumming, in 1874, and a female was presented by the Sultan of Zanzibar in the following year, from which the figure in the Society’s ‘Garden Guide’ for 1876 (see fig. 94, p. 70) was taken. This made a pair of this animal for the Collection, believed at that time to be the only pair in Europe. In 1877 and 1878 other specimens were obtained. On April 12th, 1881, the first calf was born, and in September 1885 a second calf from the same pair. At the present time there are three representatives of this Oryx in the Society’s Collection, and specimens of it may also be seen in many of the Zoological Gardens on the Continent.

A coloured figure of the first Beisa calf born in the Zoological Society’s Gardens will be found in the ‘Proceedings’ for 1881 (plate liv.).

In the British Museum there is an adult mounted female specimen of the Beisa Antelope, from the Red Sea coast, obtained in 1871. There is also the skull of an adult from the River Juba, obtained by Sir John Kirk and presented by him in 1879, besides other skins and skulls from various parts of Somaliland presented by Mr. W. F. Sinclair, Col. A. Paget, and Capt. Swayne.

Our figure of this species (Plate LXXXIV.) was lithographed by Mr. Smit for Sir Victor Brooke many years ago, and was taken, it is believed, from a specimen in the British Museum.

May, 1899.

117. THE TUFTED BEISA.

ORYX CALLOTIS, Thomas.