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Show 1894.] GAME-ANIMALS OF SOMALILAND. 319 shot one of the former in mistake for the latter. The habits and gait are much the same, save that the Dibatag trots off with head held up, and the long tail held erect over the back like a stick, nearly meeting the head, while Waller's Gazelle trots away with its head down and its short tail screwed round. Like Waller's Gazelle, the Dibatag goes singly or in pairs, or small families up to half a dozen or so. Like Waller's Gazelle also, the Dibatag is enabled by its long neck and long upper lip to reach clown branches of tbe mimosa bushes from a considerable height. As I have mentioned before, the shape of head and way of feeding of both the Dibatag and Lithocranius walleri are giraffe-like, and I have seen both animals standing on the hind legs, fore feet planted against the trunk of a tree, when feeding. I think Waller's Gazelle subsists almost entirely on bushes, as they are constantly found in places deserted by Oryx and all other antelopes because there was no grass. 1 have seen Dibatag feeding both on thorn-bushes and on the " durr " grass. Both antelopes can live far from water. The country most suitable for Dibatag is jungle of the " Khansa " or umbrella mimosa alternating with glades of " durr" grass, which grows about six feet high. The females are hornless. THE SAKARO ANTELOPES (see P. Z. S. 1892, p. 307). * There are certainly two of these small Antelopes, which are called by the natives " Sakaro Gussuli" or "Gussuli," and "Sakaro Gol-ass" or " Gol-ass " (i. e. red-belly). There is also a third Sakaro recognized by the Somalis, which 1 have often shot and generally classed with the Gol-ass. It is smaller than the Gol-ass and has yeUowish grey on the sides of the belly instead of red, but is in every other respect similar. The Somalis call it " Sakaro Guyu " or " Guyu," and declare it to be a distinct variety from the Gol-ass, to be known by its smaller size and the yellow belly. It appears to be found wherever the Gol-ass is found. I have often noticed, in about two hundred specimens that I have shot for food at one time or another during eight years, that the skulls appear to vary much in size in adult animals, but m y attention was called to the third native name only at the end of m y last expedition. I will therefore consider, in the absence of proof, that there are only two kinds of this small antelope, viz. the Gussuli aud the Gol-ass. The Gol-ass is the ordinary Somali " Sakdro," which I have mentioned in m y former paper. I came on the " Gussuli" for the first time a day's journey south of Seyyid Mahommed's village in the Malingur tribe and all over the Rer Amaden country. Its range is very similar to that of the Rhinoceros, and it is found in many parts of the Haud, 1 [On these Antelopes see also Mr. Oldiield Thomas's paper, below, p, 323.- P. L. S.] |