It will be observed that the original place of discovery of Grant’s Gazelle was in what is now German East Africa. In this country, according to Herr Matschie, it has an extensive range over the whole western portion of the colony, extending up to Mpapwa, in which district several sportsmen have met with it, and through Irangi on to Lake Victoria on the borders of British territory. Over this country it has been found in many localities by Fischer, Neumann, and Stuhlmann. Throughout these districts it appears to resort principally, as stated by Grant, to the more open sandy plains, which are thinly covered with euphorbias and other trees, especially where a saline vegetation is prevalent.
In the eastern districts of British East Africa, Grant’s Gazelle appears to be not less prevalent in similar spots. Mr. Hunter, in his Appendix to Willoughby’s ‘East Africa,’ tells us that during his expedition in 1888 it was found to be common everywhere in the open plains near Kilimanjaro, one male being generally accompanied by from 10 to 15 females. It was at that time most common in the direction of Useri. The longest pair of horns obtained by the party measured 30 inches in length, but 27 inches were considered to constitute a big head. The best female’s head obtained measured 17 inches along the inside curve. Dr. Abbott, during his expedition to Kilimanjaro, as recorded by Mr. True, obtained a good series of specimens of this Antelope, which are now in the United States National Museum. Capt. F. D. Lugard, in his volumes on ‘The Rise of our East-African Empire,’ writes of Grant’s Gazelle as being “a model of symmetry,” while “its large and massive horns are most beautiful in their curve and are carried most gracefully.” He continues as follows:—
“Grant’s Gazelle is always found on the open plains and in rocky ground far from water, and never near forest. Both sexes are horned; the female carries thin but long horns (up to 17 inches in length), the points, as is the case in all horned female Antelopes, turning inwards, the curve being more or less lyre-shaped. I have weighed a male and found it weigh 115 lbs. without the stomach; female 65 lbs. The horns of the male measure up to 30 inches and are about 7 inches in circumference at the base. They are annulated, black in colour, and bend backwards and then forwards at the tip. Anything above 25 inches would be a ‘good head.’”
Another excellent authority on the Antelopes of British East Africa, Mr. F. J. Jackson, in a recent article on the subject, writes as follows:—
“Grant’s Gazelle ranges north into Turkwel and the Sak country, but is not found on the Mau plateau. At Njemps and Baringo, and in Turkwel, this Gazelle is considerably smaller than those found further south at Naivasha and on the Athi plains. At Njemps I shot the largest buck out of a herd of thirty, in which there were three or four other bucks. It was an old beast, in good condition, but only weighed 135 lbs. with horns 20 inches. To show the differences in size I append some measurements for comparison:—
| G. granti, ♂. Njemps (21.9.96). | G. granti, ♂ (two). Gil-Gil River, Lake Naivasha (2.1.96). | G. granti, ♂. Gil-Gil River, Lake Naivasha (4.4.96). | ||||||
| ft. | in. | ft. | in. | ft. | in. | ft. | in. | |
| Total length | 5 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 7 |
| Height at shoulder | 2 | 11 | 3 | 1½ | 3 | 2½ | 3 | 0½ |
| Depth of chest | 1 | 1½ | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| Circumference of chest | 2 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| „ haunch | 3 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 5 | ||
| „ loins | 2 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 7½ |
| „ throat | 1 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 6 |
| „ neck | 1 | 8 | 2 | 0½ | 2 | 1 | 1 | 10½ |
| Tail | 10½ | 11 | 10 | 10 | ||||
| Horns | 20 | 28¼ | 27 | 24 | ||||
| Weight | 135 lbs. | 158 lbs. | 167 lbs. | 166 lbs.” | ||||
Dr. Donaldson Smith has recorded the existence of this Gazelle “in great numbers” all along his route homewards from Lake Rudolph on the northern bank of the Tana. But these animals may possibly have belonged to the next species Gazella petersi. Dr. Donaldson Smith also met with Grant’s Gazelle in the Boran country “a little west of 39° W.L.,” and found it “extending as far north as 6° N.L.” Mr. Cavendish likewise obtained examples of this Gazelle during his recent expedition to Rudolphia.
There is a good mounted specimen of an adult male of this Antelope in the Gallery of the British Museum, obtained by Mr. F. J. Jackson in the Kilimanjaro district of British East Africa and presented by him. Mr. Jackson has also given the Museum a fine skull of an adult male from the same locality, and has placed at the service of the Museum three other mounted heads of this Antelope. The National Collection also contains skulls of an adult pair of Grant’s Gazelle from Kilimanjaro presented by Mr. W. Carlisle Fraser, and several skulls and skins of different ages from Machakos, collected and presented by Mr. S. L. Hinde. Besides these some skulls and skins obtained during the Cavendish expedition to Lake Rudolph, and presented by Mr. H. S. H. Cavendish and Mr. H. Andrew, have lately been added to the series.
Our illustration of this beautiful Antelope (Plate LXIX.), which shows the horns of the male in various attitudes, was prepared by Mr. Wolf under Sir Victor Brooke’s directions and drawn upon the stone by Mr. Smit. We are not sure as to the specimens from which it was taken.
September, 1898.