In his appendix to Sir John Willoughby’s ‘East Africa and its Big Game,’ Mr. Hunter includes the “Steinbok” amongst the Antelopes met with in the plains round Kilimanjaro, where, he says, it is very often seen in the long grass. Mr. F. J. Jackson also speaks of the “Steinbok” in his account of the Antelopes of the same district. He says that its Swahili name is “Ishah,” but that it is better known to some sportsmen as the Grass-Antelope, and continues as follows:—“It is more plentiful at Kilimanjaro than elsewhere, though I have seen a good many all along the caravan-route, wherever it passes through open grass country, between Mombasa and Nzoi in Ukambani. This little Antelope is the smallest of those found in the open plains. It is a stupid little beast, and requires very little stalking to outwit it. It will often stand gazing at anyone who approaches, and allow him to walk up to within 100 yards of it.”
If it should turn out that R. neumanni is a good species, it is probable that that Steinbok or Ishah of British East Africa, referred to by these two distinguished sportsmen, will be found to belong to it.
In his ‘Field-notes on the Antelopes of Nyasaland,’ published in 1890, Mr. R. Crawshay includes the Steinbuck. But he had only procured one specimen, and admits that he was uncertain as to its identification.
As will be seen by this and by previous remarks that we have made, our knowledge of the Antelopes of East Africa is still far from complete, and there is a large opportunity for further discoveries on this subject by those who will kindly assist us with notes and specimens.
The British Museum contains two skulls, probably of this species, obtained between Mombasa and Kilimanjaro by Mr. H. C. V. Hunter.
December, 1895.
Genus IV. NESOTRAGUS.
| Type. | |
| Nesotragus, Von Düb. Öfv. K. Vet.-Ak. Förh. iii. 1846, p. 221 (1847). | N. moschatus. |
No auricular glands or accessory hoofs.
Skull with very large anteorbital fossæ, sharply defined above and below, almost as in Ourebia; anteorbital vacuity present on each side of the hinder end of the nasal bones; on the sides of the muzzle a long oval vacuity present on the suture between the premaxillary and maxillary bones; nasal opening oval, its sides bowed outwards as usual.