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Show 1894.] SIR E. G. LODER ON THE " REEM" ANTELOPE. 473 3. On the "Reem" Antelope of Algeria1. By Sir E D M U N D GILES LODER, Bart., F.Z.S. [Eeceived June 1, 1894] Seventeen years ago (in 1877) I bought in the bazaar at Biskra several pairs of Gazelle horns. They obviously belonged to three species : Gazella dorcas, called by the Arabs " Bezal"; Gazella cuvieri, which they call " Admi " ; and a third called " Beem," which I was not able to identify with any described species. All these horns were on frontal bones only. It is very rarely that the Arabs bring in any whole skulls or skins for sale, and I have never seen anything but frontlets of the " Beem." In 1891 and again in 1893 I went out to Algeria for the purpose of hunting Mouflon (Ovis tragelaphus). In 1877 I had been prevented from going after them except for a few hours at a time. On these later trips I was more successful and secured some fine male Mouflon, a female of the large Mountain Gazelle (Gazella cuvieri), and a few specimens of Gazella dorcas. At Biskra I again found horns of the Beem, but got no information about it except that it was reported to live in the sand. I heard a French name for it for the first time, " Gazelle des Sables." As m y friend Mr. Alfred Pease was spending a second winter at Biskra and had made the acquaintance of several native hunters, I requested him to try what he could do to find out the habitat of the Beem. About Christmas-time last year he wrote to m e that he believed he had reliable information that the Beem was to be found in the desert near Chegga, only about 50 kilometres south of Biskra on the caravan-route to Touggourt. W e made arrangements for a camping trip, and I left England on February 1st, and started from Biskra with Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Pease on February 8th of this year. After two days' marching we got to Chegga and made inquiries respecting the Beem. No one seemed to know anything about the animal except one Arab, who said that if we went on farther south we should come to a place called Ain Gebberah, wmere there were a few Beem, but if we went on still farther to Hamraia we should find the Beem in quantities. W e therefore travelled on for two or three more clays until we came to Hamraia, but on making inquiries about the Beem the answers were very unsatisfactory. W e determined, however, before giving up the search, to stay here a day to hunt and see what game there was in this part of the desert. In the early morning of the next day Pease started off from camp with an Arab in one direction, while I went off in the other. By the evening we had covered a considerable extent of country and had used our glasses from every available rise in the ground. We \} GAZELLA LODERI, Thomas, above, p. 470.-ED.] |