The Crowned Duiker is a species established by Gray in 1842 upon specimens brought by Whitfield, Lord Derby’s collector, from the Gambia. The typical specimen in the British Museum appears to be immature, as are likewise other examples obtained in its company, and perfectly adult specimens of this obscure species are much required. Along with the skins Whitfield brought home a single adult female for the Derby Menagerie. This was figured in 1842 in two positions by Waterhouse Hawkins on the sixth plate of the ‘Gleanings.’ In the text of the ‘Knowsley Menagerie’ we are told that Whitfield’s name for it was the “Coquetoon,” but in the plate the native name of the present species is given as “Sinani,” while that of “Coquetoon” is assigned to C. rufilatus figured in its company, and this vernacular name has certainly been more generally applied to the latter species.
We suppose that the Antelope described by Pallas as Antilope grimmia from living specimens brought from the Guinea Coast may probably have belonged to this species, as may also many references of the older authors to an Antilope grimmia from Western Africa. But the true Capra grimmia of Linnæus, as we shall presently show, refers to another species.
We cannot find that any modern authority refers to fresh examples of this Antelope, and from the immaturity of the available specimens, to which we have already referred, we are quite unable to come to any definite conclusion as to its relationship. In its general appearance, however, the Crowned Duiker has a certain amount of resemblance to C. abyssinicus and C. grimmi, and we therefore place it provisionally in its present position.
The accompanying figure (Plate XXII. fig. 2), probably representing the male of this species, was drawn by Mr. Smit for the late Sir Victor Brooke, but we are unable to say from what specimen it was prepared.
August, 1895.
37. THE ABYSSINIAN DUIKER.
CEPHALOPHUS ABYSSINICUS, Thos.
[PLATE XXII. Fig. 1.]
Antilope madoqua, Rüpp. N. Wirb. Abyss., Säug. p. 22, pl. vii. fig. 2 (animal) (1830) (description and figure, but not references to Bruce, Lichtenstein, and others, which refer to Madoqua saltiana), nec A. madoka, H. Sm.; Schinz, Syn. Mamm. ii. p. 423 (1845); Wagn. Schr. Säug. Suppl. v. p. 422 (1855).
Tragelaphus madoqua, Rüpp. Verz. Senck. Mus. p. 37 (1842).
Sylvicapra madoqua, Sund. Pecora, K. Vet.-Ak. Hand-l. 1844, p. 190 (1846); id. Hornschuch’s Transl., Arch. Skand. Beitr. ii. p. 142; Reprint, p. 66 (1848); Fitz. SB. Wien, lix. pt. 1, p. 168 (1869).
Cephalophus madoqua, Gray, Knowsl. Men. p. 9 (1850); id. P. Z. S. 1871, p. 122; id. Cat. Ung. B. M. p. 82 (1852); Temm. Esq. Zool. Guin. p. 194 (1853); Blanf. Zool. Abyss. p. 267 (1870); Gray, P. Z. S. 1871, p. 598; Heugl. Reise N.O.-Afr. ii. p. 108 (1877); Scl. f. Cat. Mamm. Calc. Mus. ii. p. 168 (1891).