In the spring of 1895 Sclater was in Egypt, and convinced himself that besides G. dorcas, of which there were many specimens in the Zoological Gardens at Gizeh, there were examples of both sexes of another species belonging to the group of G. leptoceros and G. cuvieri, stated to have been obtained from the Arabs of the Western Desert (cf. P. Z. S. 1895, p. 400). On receipt in London of a skin and skull of this Gazelle subsequently sent to him by Mr. Jennings-Bramley, Sclater, after comparing it with typical specimens of Gazella loderi in the British Museum, pronounced them to be of the same species. Mr. Jennings-Bramley also supplied Sclater with some excellent notes on the mode of capture of this Gazelle by the Arabs of the Western Desert of Egypt, from which we extract the following passages:—
“On the 27th of June, 1895, I started from the Pyramids in order, if possible, to catch some living specimens of Loder’s Gazelle (Gazella loderi), known to the Arabs as ‘Rasal Abiad’ (the White Gazelle), which the shikaries whom I took with me reported to be found in the desert at some thirty or forty miles distant from Cairo.
“Leaving at 4 P.M. on the 27th, we started, taking a south-easterly direction. We travelled till 12 that night, and at 4 next morning resumed our march. Soon after the sun had risen, one of the shikaries, pointing to the ground, showed what he made out to be the spoor, evidently but lately made, of a fine male Loder’s Gazelle. This, being larger than that of the Dorcas Gazelle, is very easily recognizable; the bluntness of the hoofs in the case of Loder’s Gazelle shows a marked difference. About 12 o’clock one of the camel-men called out that a Gazelle could be seen ahead, but the many heaps of white stones, scattered all over the desert, are so deceiving at a little distance that both shikaries shook their heads.
“The camel-man, however, in this case proved to be correct, as we soon noticed the Gazelle walking leisurely away. It disappeared behind a mound of sand, where it must have remained, for, on reaching the place about half an hour later, we were surprised to come suddenly on the Gazelle, now only some 200 yards off. It was a fine female, very white in colour. Not wishing to disturb any others that might be near, I did not fire. We found, however, that it was alone. At 12 o’clock or thereabouts we came upon the skirt of the plateau, from which the Fayoum can be seen, and here the shikaries decided to turn back, as they said we had passed the ‘White Gazelle ground’; so, after returning about two miles, we set up the tents and waited for the evening, the sun being so hot that it was impossible to continue our search.
“During the afternoon the two shikaries constructed traps, which we set in the evening.
“The Gazelle trap, except the small hemp-platted rope, is made entirely from the date-palm. Taking the long leaves, the shikarie first constructs by platting them together a deep ring, about 3 inches in diameter and about 4 inches deep: it should, in fact, fit well into a golf-hole and make its walls secure. He now takes an old stalk from which the dates have been picked, and separating about twenty of the fibres which compose it, and run its whole length, he twists them into a rude bracelet about three inches in diameter. Then taking three more fibres, in place of twine, he binds the ring securely; the ring or bracelet has then a form much resembling a diminutive ‘Ringold’ ring. The shikarie now breaks off the points of the date-thorns until he has about twenty-five of them 2 inches in length; these he pushes through the fibrous sides of the ring until all the points meet in the centre, so that when finished this ring has much the appearance of a small sieve. All the thorn-points overlap slightly in the centre of the ring. This ring, holding all the thorns, the deep ring of platted leaves, and a soft thick hemp rope, made by the Arab himself, by the ordinary three-plat from raw hemp (this rope, being soft, not only binds itself more securely to the Gazelle, but does not cut the skin when drawn tight), attached to a date-stick about a yard in length, are all the implements that an Arab requires to catch a Gazelle.
“Starting in the evening for the lower ground, which is studded with small bushes (for when pitching the tents we purposely kept at a good distance from the feeding-ground), we soon found spoor, but none very promising; a buck and two does had been there two nights before. A small desert plant, much resembling our English Red Cranesbill (Geranium sanguineum), was pointed out to me by the Arabs as a favourite food of the Gazelles. Finding a spot where the spoor led to one of these plants, and the plant evidently having been nibbled at, we decided to put a trap near it. The Arab sat down and made a hole, using his deep ring to keep its sandy walls intact, so that he now had a hole resembling exactly in size and depth a golf-hole with basket-work sides, within four or five inches of the plant.
“Taking now the thorny ring he places it on the hole, which it should exactly cap. He now powders up some camel-dung and drops it carefully over the thorns in the ring, which being close together hold it up, so that soon nothing can be seen of the thorns. The use of the dried dung is, to hold up the sand which hides the trap. The hemp rope, now made into a slip-noose, is put round the top ring, and the stick to which it is attached buried in the sand. The whole is now carefully covered with sand. One of the shikaries laid his traps so successfully that it was almost impossible to find one again unless a Gazelle was caught in it. The marks like those of a Gazelle made by the fingers over the trap add to the deception. It is curious to remark that a Gazelle will rarely walk over an impression left by either beast or man in the sand.
“When the Gazelle comes in the evening to feed, its foot slips through the top ring in the centre where the thorns meet, and so to the bottom of the hole. The top ring is now fixed round the Gazelle’s leg, at the height of the depth of the hole, the spiky thorns entering the skin. This ring also holds up the hemp rope, which the Gazelle, in endeavouring to kick off the thorny ring that pricks it, draws tight, generally over the knee.
“The Gazelle starts off, dragging after it the date-stick, attached to the rope. The swinging stick makes it impossible for the animal to get away at any pace, as, twisting round one leg or the other, it throws the Gazelle to the ground continually.