Alces oreas, Schweinf. Im Herz. Afr. i. p. 387 (1874).
Antilope oreas, id. ibid. ii. pp. 264–266 (horns).
Taurotragus (Bosephalus) oreas, Heugl. N. Act. Leop. xxx. p. 19 (1863); id. Reise Weiss. Nil, p. 319 (1869).
Taurotragus (Boselaphus) gigas, Heugl. N. Act. Leop. xxx. p. 19, pl. i. fig. 2 (1863); id. Reise Weiss. Nil, p. 318 (1869); Fitz. SB. Ak. Wien, lix. pt. 1, p. 179 (1869).
Vernacular Names:—Eland of the Dutch at the Cape; Canna or Tiganna of the Hottentots; Pohu of the Bachapins (Burchell). Pofo of the Bechuanas; Impofo of the Amandabele, Zulu, and Kafirs; Ee-pofo of the Makalakas; Insefo of the Masubias and Batongas; Doo of the Masurwa Bushmen; Mofo of the Mashunas (Selous). Sofu and Nchefoo in Nyasaland (Sharpe). Mpofu (Swaheli); Musu in Siruwa, B.E.A. (Jackson). Qualqual (Djeng), Adgar (Djur), Newarreh (Dor) on the White Nile (Heuglin).
Adult male, at the withers, about five feet ten inches or, according to some writers, sometimes considerably over six feet in height. Body, head, legs, and neck of a tolerably uniform tawny colour, but often assuming a slaty-grey hue in old age, owing to the rubbing off of the hair and the consequent exposure of the skin beneath. Frontal mat of hairs varying from yellowish brown to black, apparently becoming darker with age; nose generally ashy black; lips and chin white. Ears narrow and pointed, of a uniform greyish-fawn tint, with at most a small black patch on the lower rim in front. A narrow black spinal stripe, extending from the withers to the base of the tail. Tail-tuft and tuft of hair on the dewlap black. Legs like the body, but, on the inner side, sometimes with a greyish patch above the knee on the pasterns; back of the pasterns and narrow rim above the hoofs and false hoofs black.
Horns about 30 inches or more in length.
Female like the male in colouring, but smaller and more slightly built; the horns thinner, less strongly crested, and less twisted, but usually longer and (exceptionally) reaching a length of 34 inches.
The subspecies T. o. livingstonii is generally similar to the typical form, but has the coat of a ruddier fawn-colour, and is ornamented on each side of the body and hind-quarters with from about eight to eleven narrow vertical white stripes: these are strong upon the flanks and faint upon the haunches; they commence from the black spinal stripe and gradually fade away upon the belly and lower part of the thighs. In the typical form, moreover, there is a large black patch on the inner and posterior side of the fore leg above the knee. Horns reaching about 32 inches.
Female differing from the male in the same respects as in T. o. typicus.