120. THE DECULA ANTELOPE.
TRAGELAPHUS DECULA (Rüpp.).
[PLATE LXXXVIII.]
Antilope decula, Rüpp. Neue Wirb. Abyss. p. 11, pl. iv., ♂ ♀ (1838–1840); Schinz, Syn. Mamm. ii. p. 427 (1845); Huet, Bull. Soc. Acclim. (4) iv. p. 78 (1887).
Calliope decula, Rüpp. Verz. Senck. Mus. iii. pt. 2, p. 182 (1839).
Antilope (Tragelaphus) decula, Gerv. Dict. Sci. Nat. Suppl. i. p. 266 (1840); Less. N. Tabl. R. A., Mamm. p. 181 (1842); Reichenb. Säug. iii. p. 78 (1845); Gieb. Säug. p. 311 (1853).
Tragelaphus decula, Gray, List Mamm. B. M. p. 166 (1843); Sund. Pecora, K. Vet.-Akad. Handl. lxv. p. 189 (1846); id. Hornschuch’s Transl., Arch. Skand. Beitr. ii. p. 141; Reprint, p. 65 (1848); Wagn. Schreb. Säug., Suppl. iv. p. 442 (1844), v. p. 443 (1855); Schinz, Mon. Antil. p. 26 (1848); Gray, P. Z. S. 1850, p. 145; id. Knowsl. Men. p. 28 (1850); id. Cat. Ung. B. M. p. 139 (1852); Heugl. N. Acta Leop. xxx. p. 20, pl. i. figs. 5 a, b (1863); id. Faun. Roth. Meer. p. 16; Fitz. SB. Ak. Wien, lix. pt. 1, p. 174 (1869); Heugl. Reise Weiss. Nil, p. 319 (1869); Gray, Cat. Rum. B. M. p. 50 (1872); id. Hand-l. Rum. p. 120 (1873); Flower, P. Z. S. 1875, p. 186 (skull char.); Heugl. Reise in Nordost-Afr. ii. p. 120 (1877); Brooke, P. Z. S. 1878, p. 884 (skull char.); Jent. Cat. Ost. Leyd. Mus. (Mus. P.-Bas, ix.) p. 141 (1889); id. Cat. Mamm. Leyd. Mus. (Mus. P.-Bas, xi.) p. 173 (1892); Lyd. Horns and Hoofs, p. 252 (1893); Ward, Rec. Big Game, p. 196 (1896), p. 286 (1899); Pousarg. Ann. Sci. Nat. iv. pp. 81, 83 (1897).
Tragelaphus scriptus decula, Thos. P. Z. S. 1891, p. 388; Trouess. Cat. Mamm. p. 959 (1899).
Tragelaphus bor, Heugl. Reise N.O.-Afr. ii. p. 122 (1877).
Vernacular Names:—Husch (Arabic); Dakula, Daggula, Dekula, or Dekuela (Amharic); Ber (Djengish) (Heuglin).
Height at withers of adult male about 26 inches. Prevailing colour a yellowish or sandy brown, becoming darker upon the chest and belly and upon the shoulder and lower portion of the hind-quarters. Edge of upper lip, chin, and inter-ramal area white; a white spot on the cheek below the eye, a white patch at the upper and a second at the lower extremity of the throat. Hairs along spine darker brown and not noticeably tipped with white. A few white spots upon the haunches and a row of them extending along the sides of the body above the belly. Upper half of the body marked in front with a distinct white stripe, which extends longitudinally backwards from the shoulder. Transverse stripes generally entirely absent. Fore leg white on inner side at base and behind knee, also white on inner side of cannon-bone; a brown stripe extending along front of cannon-bone; white pastern-spots large and confluent. Hind limb coloured like the fore limb, but with the hocks white in front, not behind. Tail bushy, white below, with a darker tip. No collar of short hairs round base of neck. Horns short, scarcely 12 inches in length, black-tipped.
Female like male, but smaller, without horns, and with less dark colour upon the upper portions of the limbs and lower parts of body.