ANTELOPE, a zoological name which was applied by the earlier English naturalists, and afterwards by B uff on, to the Indian blackbuck, which is thus entitled to rank as the antelope.
No true antelopes are American, the prongbuck (Antilocapra), which is commonly called "ante lope" in the United States, repre senting a distinct group ; while the Rocky mountain or white goat stands on the borderland between antelopes and goats.
The first group or subfamily, the Bubalinae, includes four dis tinct genera, Bubalis the` harte beests, Damaliscus the hirola or Hunter's hartebeest, bontebok, blesbok, sassaby, and tiang, Con nochaetes the gnu, and Gorgon the brindled gnu or blue wilde beest. The subfamily is confined to Africa; the members of this group are large antelopes, with horns in both sexes. The hartebeests are characterized by their long faces, ungainly bodies, and high horn-pedicle; the horns, which are ringed, lyrate and more or less strongly angulated, rise almost ver tically from the cylindrical pedicle. The neck is unmaned and the tail is moderately long; the height of the withers (43 to 54in.) greatly exceeds that of the hindquarters. Eight species of harte beest are now recognized, the most important of which are the following: the bubal hartebeest (B. buselaphus) from north Africa, the western hartebeest (B. major) from west Africa, Coke's harte beest (B. cokei) from east Africa, the Cape hartebeest (B. caama) (fig. the lelwel hartebeest (B. lelwel) from west and east Africa, and Lichtenstein's hartebeest (B. lichtensteini) from south-central and east Africa. In Damaliscus, the bastard harte beests, the withers are generally less elevated and the horns arise directly from the head. The hirola or Hunter's hartebeest (D. hunteri) has a white chevron-like marking on the forehead ; it is found only on the north side of the Tana valley in Jubaland, east Africa. The bontebok (D. pygargus) and blesbok (D. albifrons) are two closely allied south African species which once existed in countless thousands, but are now reduced to a few herds preserved on various farms in south Africa. The sassaby, or tsesebe (D. lunatus), originally from Cape Colony, where it is now extinct, is distributed over a large area of south-eastern Africa, from the Orange river to northern Rhodesia and Nyasa land. The gnu or black wildebeest (Connochaetes gnu) (fig.
2) differs from the hartebeests and their allies in the presence of tufts of hair on the face, a well developed mane, a horse-like tail, and a very broad muzzle. The horns are smooth, not ringed, and the teats four in number, not two as in the hartebeests. As a truly wild animal this species no longer exists ; formerly it was widely dis tributed over the plains of Cape Colony and the Orange Free State. The brindled gnu or blue wildebeest (Gorgon taurinus) may be distinguished from the typical gnu by the smaller hindquarters and higher withers, and the horns, instead of curving forwards over the face as they do in Connoc/iaetes, spread out laterally. The various races of brindled gnu range over a large part of Africa from Kenya Colony to south of the Zambezi.
The second group, the subfamily Cephalophinae, contains the duikers, or duikerboks, of Africa; the species, which are very numerous, are all of small or medium size and are characterized by their spike-like horns, which are generally present in both sexes, their naked muzzles, large face glands, and well-developed lateral hoofs; the female has four teats. The subfamily includes three genera : (r) Cephalophus, the forest duikers, distinguished by the short, comparatively stout horns and the uniform colour of the coat. The majority of the species and subspecies, some 34 of which are now recognized, inhabit the great equatorial forests. This genus contains the largest members of the group, the yellow backed duiker (C. sylvicultrix) and Jentink's duiker (C. jentinki), both of which stand about 3o to 34in. at the shoulder; otherwise the species are of medium size (height 16-24in.). (2) Guevei, the blue duikers, are the smallest members of the subfamily, and have very small horns, usually present in both sexes. The colour of the coat varies from grey to dark brown. About 16 different forms have received names, and they inhabit the same forests as the forest duikers. (3) Sylvicapra, the bush duikers, have long and slender horns, directed upwards so as to form an obtuse angle with the line of the face. The genus contains a single species (S. grimmia), which is widely distributed over south, central, east and west Africa.
The third subfamily, Oreotraginae, the klipspringers, contains but a single genus and species (Oreotragus oreotragus), dis tinguished from all other antelopes by the coarse, pithy hair, and by the narrow and cylindrical hoofs. The horns, usually present only in the males, are short and spike-like, rising almost vertically above the eyes. The various races are widely dis tributed over the more mountainous parts of Africa, from Abyssinia southwards to Cape Colony.
The fourth subfamily is the Neotraginae, which contains six distinct types of antelope, the oribis (Ourebia), the grysbok (Nototragus), the steinboks (Raphicerus), the sunis (Neso tragus), the pygmy antelopes (Hylarnus), and the royal antelope (Neotragus). The subfamily is widely distributed over a great part of Africa, from Cape Colony to Abyssinia, and from Kenya Colony to Liberia and Gambia. The oribis have a bare, glandular patch beneath each ear; lateral hoofs are present and the horns are slender and ringed in the basal half. The grysbok (Noto tragus melanotis) and remaining members of the subfamily are distinguished from the oribis by the absence of the bare patches below the ears. The grysbok is further characterized by the presence of small lateral hoofs and a speckled coat. Typically from Cape Colony, the grysbok extends as far north as the Zambezi and Mozambique. The steinbok (Raphicerus campestris) is very similar to the grysbok but differs in the absence of lateral hoofs. The members of this genus are found over a large part of south Africa, and spread as far north as Mount Elgon. The three groups of dwarf antelopes are all very closely allied ; the sunis (Nesotragus) stand about 13 or i4in. at the shoulder and possess relatively long (3 to 5in.) and strongly ringed horns. The various species and races are confined to east Africa and Zanzibar. In the pygmy antelopes (Hylarnus) the shoulder height is about equal to that of the sunis, but the horns are smaller and nearly smooth ; the genus is confined to west and equatorial Africa. The royal ante lope (Neotragus pygmaeus), the only member of the genus, is only about loin. high, being the Smallest of all true ruminants; the horns are very small and unringed. This species inhabits the west coast from Liberia to southern Nigeria.
The fifth subfamily, the Madoquinae, contains three genera, the dik-diks, representing two distinct types, Madoqua and Rliynchotragus, and the beira, the sole member of the genus Dorcotragus. The dik-diks are distinguished from the last sub family and the beira by a more or less marked elongation of the muzzle and the presence of a tuft of long hair on the crown. The various species are confined to east Africa, from Abyssinia to Tanganyika Territory, with the exception of one isolated form from Angola and Dam araland. The beira (D. melanotis), which was formerly considered to belong to the subfamily Antilopinae, is considerably larger than the dik-diks (which stand only 13 or i4in. at the shoulder), measuring about 23in. in height. The ears are of great size, and the horns, which are spike-like and ringed basally, measure from 4 to Sin. in length. This species is found only in Somaliland and Abyssinia.
In the sixth subfamily, the Reduncinae, we again meet with antelopes of large size ; the five types constituting the group are as follow: waterbucks (Kobus), lechwes (Onotragus), kobs (Adenota), reedbucks (Redunca), and the Vaal rhebok (Pelea). Horns are present only in the male sex and the muzzle is naked. The waterbucks, lechwes and kobs, the largest members of the subfamily, may be distinguished by their long, lyrate horns, the absence of a bare patch below the ears, and the full development of the lateral hoofs. The typical waterbuck (K. ellipsiprymnus) is found over a large area of east Africa from Somaliland to Lake Ngami. The lechwes (Onotragus) are intermediate in size be tween the waterbucks and kobs; they range over south-central, central and east Africa as far north as the Sudan, whereas the kobs inhabit equatorial Africa, the Sudan and Rhodesia. The reedbucks (Redunca) are distinguished by their short tails, small lateral hoofs, and the presence of a bare patch of skin below each ear. The shoulder height varies from 28 to 37in., and the species is widely distributed over the greater part of Africa south of the Sahara. The Vaal rhebok (Pelea capreolus) is distinguished by its upright, spike-like horns and woolly hair; it is essentially a south African animal. The dibatag (Ammodorcas clarkei) is now considered as related to the waterbucks and impala as well as to the gazelles and gerenuk; its exact systematic position is not yet determined. In general shape this animal resembles a long-necked gazelle, with horns rather like those of a reedbuck; it is found only in Somaliland.
The seventh subfamily, the Aepycerotinae, contains the im pala, or palla (Aepyceros melampus), characterized by the lyrate horns of the males and the absence of lateral hoofs. It ranges over a considerable part of Africa, as far north as Angola in the west and Kenya Colony in the east.
The Saiginae, the eighth subfamily, contains the saiga (Saiga tartarica) of the Kirghiz steppes; it is a sheep-like antelope with a curiously inflated and trunk-like nose with the nostrils opening downwards.
Closely allied to the saiga is the chiru (Pantholops hodgsoni), the only living representative of the ninth subfamily, Pantliolopi nae ; this species is remarkable for its long, graceful horns, which are strongly ringed on their front surfaces. The chiru is confined to the plateau of Tibet.
The tenth subfamily, the Antilopinae, contains the typical ante lope or blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra), the gazelles (Gazella), the gerenuk (Lithocranius wal leri), and the springbuck (Anti dorcas marsupialis). The black buck, confined to the Indian peninsula, is easily recognized by its long, spirally twisted horns, which are normally developed only in the male sex. The gazelles are widely distributed over west ern and central Asia, peninsular India and northern and eastern Africa. Horns are usually present in both sexes, but certain Asiatic gazelles have hornless females. Some of the African species, such as Grant's gazelle (G. granti) and Soemmerring's gazelle (G. soemmerringi) are of fairly large size, standing 34 to 351in. at the shoulder. The springbuck is dis tinguished from the gazelles by the presence on the middle line of the loins of an evertible pouch lined with long white hairs capable of erection. The range includes south Africa, as far north as the Zambezi and Mossamedes. The gerenuk is at once distinguishable from the other members of the subfamily by the great elongation of the neck and limbs. This species is found only in Somaliland and adjacent parts of east Africa.
The eleventh subfamily, the Oryginae, is composed of a series of large antelopes which have long, either straight, backwardly curved, or spirally twisted horns, which are present in both sexes.
Three genera are distinguishable, Oryx including the gemsbuck, beisa, white oryx, and Arabian oryx; Hippotragus including the extinct blaaubok, the roan antelope, and the sable antelope; and Addax with but a single species, the addax. The horns are nearly straight in the gemsbuck (0. gazella) (fig. 3), the beisa (0. beisa) and Arabian oryx (0. leucoryx) ; in the white oryx (0. algazel) they bend backwards in a sabre-like sweep. The gemsbuck in habits south-west Africa and Angola, while the beisa is found in the country from Suakin, on the Red sea, southwards through Somaliland to Kilimanjaro. The white oryx ranges across the desert from west Africa to the eastern Sudan, and the Arabian oryx extends from southern Ara bia to Mesopotamia. In the genus Hippotragus the horns rise nearly vertically above the eyes, after which they sweep backward in a bold scimitar-like curve. The roan antelope (H.
equines) is a very large species, with stout and comparatively short horns. Roan antelopes are widely distributed over the greater part of Africa south of the Sahara, excluding the equa torial forest zone. The sable antelope (H. niger) is rather smaller, but the horns are some times of great size, in the Angolan race the record horn-length being as much as 64 inches. The range includes a large part of south, south-central and east Africa. The addax is easily distinguished by its long, spirally twisted horns ; it is distributed over the deserts of northern Africa as far south as Senegal in the west and Dongola in the eastern Sudan.
The twelfth and last subfamily of the antelopes is the Tragelaphinae, which includes the bushbucks (Tragelap/ius), situtungas (Lirnnotragus), kudus (Strepsiceros), bongo (Boocer cus), elands (Taurotragus), four-horned antelope (Tetracerus), and nilgai (Boselaphus). The members of this group are large, medium or small-sized antelopes with the horns, except in the bongo and elands, present only in the males. The harnessed ante lopes, or bushbucks, are frequently brilliantly coloured, the body being bright rufous or orange, with a white nasal chevron, and longitudinal a n d transverse stripes on the body. The true bushbucks (T. scriptus) (fig.
4) are widely distributed over south, central, east and west Africa. The nyala (T. angasi) is a much larger species with larger horns. The male nyala is slaty grey in colour, while the female is bright chestnut with the white markings of a bush buck. The distributional area is restricted to south-east Africa.
The mountain bushbuck (T.
buxtoni) is the largest mem ber of the genus, standing nearly as high as the kudu. This fine species hails from the Sahatu mountains in Gallaland. The situtungas (L. spekei) are about equal to the nyala in general dimensions; they are distinguished by their elongated hoofs, a special adaptation to enable them to walk on the soft mud. The range extends throughout a large area of south-central and central Africa to as far north as the Sudan, and westwards through the Congo to west Africa. The kudus are represented by two very distinct species, S. strepsiceros, the greater kudu (fig. 5), standing nearly 5ft. at the shoulder and possessing exceptionally fine, spirally twisted horns, and the lesser kudu (S. imberbis) which is only 41 in. in height, and carries much smaller horns. The former is widely distributed over the greater part of Africa south of the Sahara, while the latter is restricted to Abyssinia, Somaliland, Kenya Colony and Tanganyika Territory. The bongo (B. euryceros) is a large antelope and has very massive horns. It is bright chestnut in colour, with from ten to thirteen white ver tical stripes on the body. The distributional area includes a large part of equatorial Africa, spreading southwards to Katanga. The elands are the largest of all the antelopes, adult bulls standing nearly six feet at the shoulder. Two well-marked species can be distinguished, T. oryx, the common eland, and T. derbianus, Lord Derby's eland. The latter is distinguished by the larger and heavier horns and the broader ears. T. oryx is distributed over the greater part of Ethiopian Africa, while T. derbianus spreads across Africa from Senegambia to the Sudan and southwards to the Congo. The four-horned antelope, or chousingha (T. quadri cornis), is distinguished from all other antelopes by the presence of two pairs of horns in the males, of which the front pair are the smaller; it is found only in peninsular India. The nilgai (B. tragocamelus) is easily recognized by the bluish-grey tint of the adult bulls and the single pair of comparatively small horns; the range is confined to peninsular India.
Extinct Antelopes.—Only a few lines can be devoted to ex tinct antelopes, the earliest of which apparently date from the European Miocene. An antelope from the Lower Pliocene of northern India known as Bubalis, or Damaliscus palaeindicus, indicates the occurrence of the hartebeest group in that country. Kobus also occurs in the same formation, as does likewise Hippo tragus. Palaeoryx from the corresponding horizon in Greece and Samos is to some extent intermediate between Hippotragus and Oryx. Gazelles are common in the Miocene and Pliocene of both Europe and Asia. Elands and kudus appear to have been repre sented in India during the Pliocene; the European Palaeoreas of the same age seems to be intermediate between the two, while Protragelaphus is evidently another European representative of the group.
(J. G. D.)