HUNTING TROPHIES.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13674, 17 August 1908, Page 6

HUNTING TROPHIES.

SPOILS FROM SOUTH AFRICA. SECURED BY MESSRS ELWORTHY AND STUDHOLME. There is on view in a shop window in' Christchurch, a number of heads of African wild game, being a portion of the trophies securtd by Messrs fctudhobne and El worthy- during tileir suecettliul Urip Vo r ortugese .bast Africa a. short time ago. 'alley comprise eland, roan antelope, haiiebeesu-, red buck, linpala, brindle gnu, steiubuck and warthog heads and several pans ol gnu horns. The eland is the largest ol tlie antelope family, 'the bulls grow to a great size, specimens having been obtained up to nearly 18 hands Uigh, and become enormously fat, and ib Uas been thought that tliey inigut bo turned auu utilised for diaught puipoots. The hoiiu, aie short and heavy, screw-shaped, and lean hackwards. 'iUe roan antelope- is another of the largest kinds, and is a mealy chestnut in colour, but unlike the e.antl, which -has short, scanty hah - , the roan antelope has a strong coat of hair and a 'iong mane. The horns are ann'ulated, that is have rings round thein, and have a graceful backward sweep, 'llie hartebeeste in one of a number of varieties and is one of the commonest of what many be called the medium-sized antelopes.; lb is so named by the Dutch becaused of their being hard beasts to kill. The colour is a rich fawn, and the horius of this variety grow up V-shaped, and then turn back sharply. The.impala, or, as it is sometimes called pailah, is one ol the prettiest of the smaller antelopes, being a bright ioxy red, with beautitul spreading ringed horins. The red buck as easily distinguished by its shortish horns, which are hooked forward. The steinbuck is one of the very smallest of antelopes. The brindle or blue gnu, or as the Dutch have named it, the Wildbeeste, from its eratic actions when disturbed, has no claims to beauty like moat other members of the antelope family, but its head forms a striking trophy. One of the specimens, that of a- bull gnu shows marks on its head and neck where it was pulled down and killed by a lion, 'llie Warthog is a pig, and gets its name by having three pairs of warts on its face. It is very fierce-looking, and has large tusks, but differs from the ordinary wild boar in having the largest pair of tusks in the upper . instead of the lower jaw. 'The trophits have been beautifully mounted by Mr. Earl J. Haynes, a professional taxidermist, who has lately started business in Christchurch. He learned the mounting of birds, and fishes from Mr. S. Cpckburn, and of animals from Jlr. E. Spicer, F.Z.S., of Birmingham, two of the noted naturalists and taxidermists of England.