128. SELOUS’S SITATUNGA.
LIMNOTRAGUS SELOUSI (Rothsch.).
[PLATE XCIV.]
“Nakony,” Andersson, Lake Ngami, p. 449 (1856); Baines, Expl. S.W. Afr. p. 458 (1864).
Tragelaphus eurycerus, Layard, Cat. Mamm. S. Afr. Mus. p. 79 (1861).
Tragelaphus spekii, Kirk, P. Z. S. 1864, p. 659 (Chobé); Brooke, P. Z. S. 1871, p. 484 (part.), 1878, p. 884 (part.); Selous, P. Z. S. 1881, p. 753; id. Hunter’s Wanderings, p. 210 (1881); Sclater, P. Z. S. 1890, p. 590, pl. xlvii. (Lake Ngami), 1893, pp. 724, 729 (Lake Mweru); id. List An. Z. Soc. 1896, p. 163; Thomas, P. Z. S. 1891, p. 388 (part.); Flow. & Lyd. Mamm. p. 347 (1891) (part.); Nicolls & Egl. Sportsman in S. Afr. p. 40 (1892); Ward, Horn Meas. p. 155 (1892), p. 197 (1896) (part.); Lyd. Horns and Hoofs, p. 254 (1893); id. Royal Nat. Hist. ii. p. 276 (1894) (part.); Johnst. Brit. Centr. Afr. p. 306 (1897); Selous, in Ward’s Great and Small Game of Africa, p. 470 (1899).
Tragelaphus selousii, Rothsch. Novit. Zool. v. p. 206 (1898); Rendall, ibid. p. 212.
Euryceros spekii, J. E. Gray, Hand-l. Rum. 1873, p. 119 (part.).
Vernacular Names:—Waterskap of Boers (Nicolls & Eglington); Nakong of Batauwani at Lake Ngami; Sitatunga, Puvula, and Unzuzu of the natives of the Chobé and Central Zambesi; N’zoe of the natives on the Lukanga River north of the Zambesi (Selous); Mula of the Awemba and Nsowi of the Ulungu and Mambwé districts of Mweru (Crawshay).
Adult male. Height at withers about 40 inches. Colour nearly uniform dark yellowish brown, becoming darker and of a more dusky hue on the shoulder, belly, and legs. Head a darker and richer brown, with a large whitish patch running inwards on each side from the inner corner of the eye; also a yellowish patch above the eye; two pale spots on the cheeks, the upper situated a short distance beneath the eye. Ears blackish behind, with a large grey patch below. Throat with an upper and lower white patch. Underside of tail white. Fore legs white on the inner side at the base and behind the knee; spots on the pasterns faint; hind legs white on the inner side down to the hock.
Adult female. Without horns, but nearly resembling the adult male in colour.
The skull of an adult male (type) gives the following measurements:—Basal length 10·5 inches; orbit to muzzle 6·5; greatest width 4·5; horn 21 in straight line, 25·75 round the curve. Hoof: length along front 4·10; thickness from back to front 1·5.