Throughout Nyasaland, as we are assured by Mr. R. Crawshay (P.Z.S. 1890, p. 661) the Duiker is very generally met with, except on the bare open plains or in very steep rocky country. Like Mr. Selous, Mr. Crawshay notices the variation in colour of this Antelope, which ranges from a reddish brown, not unfrequently tinged with green, to almost a dark red, while in some specimens the belly is more conspicuous for whiteness than in others.

North of Nyasaland the Duiker appears to extend across German East Africa into British East Africa, where it is well known to the sportsmen of the Kilimanjaro district. Mr. F. J. Jackson, in ‘Big Game Shooting,’ tells us that it is found throughout British East Africa, and extends as far west as Kavirondo. Herr Oscar Neumann informs us that he has obtained it in Uganda. At Taveta it frequents the low stony hills covered with long grass and short scrub. On the coast it is found in open bush country and also in low scrub and grass. A skin in the British Museum is stated to have been obtained as high up as 10,000 feet on Kilimanjaro. Until recently we have believed the northern range of the Duiker not to extend beyond British East Africa; but quite lately Mr. F. Gillett, who accompanied Dr. Donaldson Smith during the first part of his adventurous expedition through Somali-land towards Lake Rudolph, has met with the Duiker on the confines of Galla-land. Mr. Gillett has favoured us with the following notes on this species:—

“I killed three specimens of this Antelope on November 1st and 2nd, 1894; they consisted of a full-grown male and female and a young female. I only came across this species in a small area of country about 20 miles long by 10 wide, at an elevation of about 7000 feet. I found them living singly. The country consisted of long grass with clumps of bushes with plenty of water. It was not timid of man’s presence, because my men saw it quite close to the Abyssinian encampment, where during the day there were always crowds of people moving about; besides which the country must have been densely populated not many years ago, signs of extensive cultivation being visible. But it hides away in the bushes, and when disturbed does not usually wait to make your acquaintance. The Galla name for it is ‘Kompee.’ The horns of the male lay back on the skull and measured 4 in. in length by 2⅛ in circumference. The tips of the feet were black for about 2 inches. The old female had a fœtus in her. The young female measured 26 in. from anus to tip of nose and 17 in. the height at shoulder. A great number of them were seen in this place by Dr. Smith and Mr. Dodson, though the three I shot were the only ones I came across. One of my camelmen recognized it at once, saying he had often seen it in the Barterri country west of the Gadabursi country, where it is numerous and called Kodobo. It has not been killed there, to his knowledge, by any European. Harar, he said, was three days from the Barterri country; but he has never heard of it there or anywhere but in his own country, which he says is exactly similar to where I found these. I killed them at a place called Sheik Mahomet in the Galla country: long. about 40° 28′ 0″, lat. about 7° 15′ 0″.”

The Common Duiker is not unfrequently brought alive to this country, and examples may be seen in most of the European Zoological Gardens. On reference to our Zoological Society’s catalogue it will be found that examples of the Duiker-bok were received in 1867, 1872, and 1876. Since that period the register of the Society shows that as many as eleven examples have been received up to the end of last year. These have been of both sexes, and, according to the testimony of the keepers, most of, if not all, the females have carried short horns. But the Duiker-bok does not thrive in captivity in this country, and most of the specimens acquired have been short-lived.

Our two illustrations of the Common Duiker (Plate XXIII.) were prepared by Mr. Smit under the direction of the late Sir Victor Brooke. The lower figure represents the more uniformly-coloured and typical form; the upper shows the variety which has been called ocularis and is known by its more rufous head, whitish eye-stripe, and much paler inferior surface.

August, 1895.

Genus II. TETRACEROS.

Type.
Tetraceros, Hardwicke, Trans. Linn. Soc. xiv. p. 524 (1825)T. quadricornis.

Size small; build slender; anteorbital glands large, oval, opening into a short deep slit on each side of the muzzle; crown not tufted; tail short; mammæ four.

Skull with large lacrymal fossæ; upper molar teeth without additional columns.