In the Transvaal it appears, from what Dr. Percy Rendall tells us (see P. Z. S. 1895, p. 360), under present circumstances, to be growing rather scarce in the mining districts that he visited. It is still found, however, on the highest ridges of the Makongwe Range near Barberton. In the less frequented north-eastern portion of the Transvaal, north of the Crocodile River, Mr. Kirby found the Vaal Rhébok “throughout the mountain-ranges and near the stony krantzes bordering the terrace-lands.” They were also occasionally seen amongst the lower hills, and were observed to run in small troops of from ten to twelve in number.
The Rhébok seems to be impatient of captivity and is very seldom brought to Europe alive. The register of the Zoological Society of London contains the record of only four examples as received, two of which were transmitted by Sir George Grey from the Cape in 1861. These were both females; but a male was presented by Mr. E. R. Wodehouse in 1863, and a female was obtained by purchase in 1864. During his many visits to the continental menageries, Sclater does not recollect to have observed a single individual of this Antelope. Besides a stuffed pair of adults of this species in the Gallery of the British Museum, from the male of which our drawing of the head (fig. 44, p. 193) has been taken, there are a skin and several skulls from the Burchell and other collections. But fresh specimens of this Antelope would be desirable acquisitions.
Our coloured Plate (no. XLVI.) represents both sexes of this beautiful Antelope, giving special prominence to the long ears, one of its most remarkable features. It has been put upon the stone by Mr. Smit from an original sketch by Mr. Wolf, which Sir Douglas Brooke has kindly allowed us to examine. But we regret to say that we have no information as to the exact individuals from which these figures were taken.
February, 1897.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Besides the normally coloured specimens of Steinbok and Grysbok found so commonly in various parts of the Cape Colony, there occasionally occur pale-coloured, more or less albino, examples to which the names “Bleekbok” and “Vlackte-Steenbok” have been applied by the Dutch.
On such albinistic individuals the following synonymy rests, but whether the names really belong to the Steinbok or to the Grysbok, or some to one and some to the other, it is quite impossible and of little importance now to determine:—
Antilope tragulus pallida, Licht. Mag. nat. Freund. vi. p. 177 (1814); Forst. Descr. Anim. p. 376 (1844).
Antilope pallida, H. Sm. Griff. An. K. iv. p. 251, v. p. 342 (1827).
Antilope pediotragus, Afzel. N. Act. Ups. vii. pp. 260 & 264 (1815); Goldf. Schr. Säug. v. p. 1236 (1818); Smuts, En. Mamm. Cap. p. 84 (1832); Gerv. Dict. Sci. Nat. Supp. i. p. 262 (1840); Less. N. Tabl. R. A., Mamm. p. 177 (1842).