“On the 26th of October, near the same spot, a male Inyala was killed by the then Surgeon of this ship. On the 29th of October I saw together 2 Inyalas and 8 Impalas. On the following day, at dusk, I met with and killed a solitary male Inyala, whose skin I forward. The natives were tremendously excited, dancing about and exclaiming ‘Bōōh,’ ‘Bōōh,’ the local name for the Inyala. They examined the body with great care. I was told in the village that the natives, on account of some superstition, would not touch the meat. Our bluejackets, however, ate it, and it was very good. The skin was remarkably glossy and soft, and the hair was long under the neck.”
In 1893 (see P. Z. S. 1893, p. 729) Sclater found a skull of this Antelope in one of Mr. Crawshay’s collections from the district of Lake Mweru, but we are not quite certain that it was actually obtained in that locality. Sir Harry Johnston, in his volume on ‘British Central Africa,’ sums up his information on this species as follows:—
“I am inclined to think that the Inyala Antelope of British Central Africa is limited in its range, so far as we yet know, to the Western and Upper Shiré districts and the Lake Mweru district, and that it may be of a different form from the Inyala of South-east Africa, inasmuch as the males retain the white spots and stripes on the skin to a greater extent, and do not assume such a grey fur at maturity. The Inyala, locally called Bōō, is a very rare animal, frequenting dense thickets. Its horns somewhat resemble those of the Bushbuck, but are much larger proportionately, much wider apart, and slenderer. They may measure as much as 22½ inches in length along the curve (I have a pair of horns giving this measurement). I have only twice seen skins of the adult animal. They were extraordinarily beautiful in colour, the females a deep chestnut, with narrow stripes and spots in pure white, and a black line along the middle of the back from the neck to the base of the tail; the male purplish-grey, with white markings.”
Fig. 106.
Angas’ Antelope, ♂ & ♀.
There is also some reason for suspecting that the Inyala, or a nearly allied form, extends even as far north as British East Africa. This suspicion rests upon the evidence supplied by a pair of horns, not specifically distinguishable from those of the typical Tragelaphus angasi, which were procured from the Mau Forest by Mr. F. J. Jackson, C.B. These horns, which are now in the British Museum, were exhibited by Sclater before the Zoological Society of London in May 1897, and are figured on p. 455 of the Society’s ‘Proceedings’ for that year (see fig. 107, p. 147). Unfortunately no skin accompanied the horns; and the specific determination of the Antelope that bore them is rendered uncertain on account of the description of the animal given by the native hunter who killed it. This description, if accurate, certainly applies to a species of Bushbuck distinct both from the Inyala and from all the other known species of Tragelaphus. Hence it is earnestly to be hoped that Mr. Jackson will soon be successful in his attempt to clear up the mystery in which the identity of this interesting Antelope is involved.
Fig. 107.
Horns of Tragelaphus sp. inc.