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Show 1881.] MR. F. C. SELOUS ON AFRICAN ANTELOPES. 755 congener the Bushbuck, the Situtunga goes in pairs, and is not met with in herds. The females have not horns on the Lower Chobe, as as they are stated to have further north by Major Pinto. 5. ORYX GAZELLA. {GemsBok of the Dutch ; GemsBuck of the English ; Kukama of the Bechuanas and Makalakas ; Ko of the Masaras.) The Gemsbuck is almost entirely confined to the arid deserts of South-western Africa. In the Kalahari desert, to the west of Griqua-land West, it is fairly plentiful; and all along the road leading along the eastern border of the desert from Kuruman to Bamangwato it is occasionally to be met with, becoming plentiful if one penetrates into the waterless country to the westward, but being unknown to the eastward, of the road. Along the waggon-road leading from Bamangwato to Tati there are a few Gemsbuck about Pelatsi, Serule, and Goqui; and they are sometimes to be met with on the upper courseof the Mac-loutsi, Shashi, and Tati rivers. A few sometimes even wander as far eastwards as the Ramokwebani river. On the road leading from Tati to the Zambesi Gemsbuck are not often met with; but a few are occasionally to be seen in the neighbourhood of Thammasanka and Thammasetjie. A little further westwards, however, in the neighbourhood of the great saltpans, they are numerous, as they are also in all the country between the saltpans and the Botletlie river, whilst to the west of that river, right through the desert into Damaraland, they are said to run in large herds. Where I have met with them the country has either been open or covered with stunted bush; and along the waggon-road from Bamangwato to the Mababe their northern range seems to be limited by the heavily timbered sand-belts which run east and west immediately to the south of that river, and into which the Gemsbuck does not penetrate. North of the Mababe, in the direction of the Chobe, although many parts of the country appear well fitted for them, the Gemsbuck is unknown. As far as m y experience goes, the Gemsbuck is far from being the fleetest or most enduring Antelope in South Africa, and in these respects connot be compared with the Tsessebe or Hartebeest. I do not think it is either fleeter or more enduring than the Sable or Roan Antelope ; and I have myself run one to a standstill without firing a shot, and know of several other men having done the same thing. The horns of the cow become longer than those of the bull, as a rule ; the longest pair of the former I have ever seen measured 3 ft. 10| in., and of the latter 3 ft. 6 in. 6. HlPPOTRAGUS LEUCOPH^US. {Boan Antelope of the English; Bastard GemsBok of the Colonial and Orange-Free-State Dutch ; Bastard Eland of the Transvaal Dutch; Qualata of the Northern Bechuanas ; Tai-hait-sa of the Southern Bechuanas ; Ee-taha of the Amandebele; Ee-pala-pala chena (White Sable Antelope) of the Makalakas; Impengo eetuBa (White Sable Antelope) of the Masubias; Oo-ka-mooh-wee of the Makubas; Kwar of the Masaras.) |