SELOUS, Frederick Courteney (1851-1917). Hunter and explorer.
Autograph Letter Signed to Sergeant G.W. Smith, 4 pages 8vo (a little worn & soiled), Heatherside, Worplesdon, 14 February 1905. Thanking him for a recent letter, encouraging further interesting information about the game animals of South Africa, and giving details of the average length of the horns of Livingstone's antelopes.

'... As regards the pair of Livingstone's antelope horns you mention, they are a good pair, but they are not the record pair. For the last edition of Ward's book of horn measurements, I find that the longest pair of horns of Livingstone's antelope measure 4 5/8 inches. These are in the possession of Mr Julius Jeppe. ... I saw a great number of heads of Livingstone's antelopes in Delagoa Bay in 1896 and measured a great many pairs of horns from 3 to slightly over 4 inches in length, so that in that district horns over 3 inches in length must be common. ...'

About 1896, Selous embarked on a new career as a guide for European and American hunters on safari in Africa. Through his writings and his work in this area, he attracted the attention of President Theodore Roosevelt, whom he accompanied on a shooting expedition to east Africa in 1909. However, after this time he became convinced that the era of unrestricted big-game hunting had come to an end and supported measures to conserve African wildlife for the enjoyment of future generations. After his death, his collection of trophies, including heads and skins of big game, was bequeathed to the British Museum.
[No: 26535]