File:The American Museum journal (c1900-(1918)) (17971721288).jpg

Title: The American Museum journal
Identifier: americanmuseumjo11amer (find matches)
Year: c1900-(1918) (c190s)
Authors: American Museum of Natural History
Subjects: Natural history
Publisher: New York : American Museum of Natural History
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
"tf^ > •
Text Appearing After Image:
'^'^^■i.A'mr f'l' '1^ From a phuto/niph, copyright, bn A.w,.,i ;. many places from Ahy.ssinia to the Zamhezi it is a l)n)\\scr and feeds chiefly on twigs and leaves. The white or square-inoiithcd kind is now found only in a game preserve in South Africa and on a narrow stretch of territory along the west hank of the Tpper Nile. It is purely a grazer. In its range the square-mouthed i-hiiio offers an extraordinary e.\aini)l(' of discontinuous distrihution. It was originally known from South Africa, south of the /aml)ezi, and was heliexcd to exist nowhere north of that river. Then, when it had heen jjractically exterminated in South Africa, it was rediscovered far to the north beyond the ecjuator. In the immense <'xtent of intervening territory it has ne\er heen found. We spent over a month in the Lado, the present liahitat of this huge sluggish ungulate. We collected a good series of specimens, nine in all — bulls and cows and one calf. Of course, we killed none sa\"e those abso- lutely needed for scientific- j)urposes. All tcjld we saw thirty or forty individuals and Kermit got some fine photographs, the first e\er taken of living members of the species. Their eyesight was so dull and their brains so lethargic that time and again we got within a score or so of feet and watched indixiduals as long as we cared to. They drank at night, either at the Xile or at some pool, and then moved back, grazing as they went, into the barren desolation of the dry comitry. About nine o'clf)ck or thereabf)uts they lay down, usually under the scanty shade of some half-leafiess thorn tree. In mid afternoon they rose and grazed industriously until sundown. But as with all game, they sometimes varied their ti'nes of resting, eating and drinking. Ordinarily we found the bulls singly and the cow along with her calf: but occasionally three or four would go together. Cow herons frequently accoiii))anied them, as they do elephants and buffaloes, perching unconcernedly on their heads and bodies. They were not difl^icult to get as our trackers followed their trail with little difficulty; and they seemed less excital)le and Ijad-tciiipcred than their hook-lipped cousins, although on occasion they charge with deternn'nafion, so that a certain amount of care must be exercised in dealing with them.

Note About Images