658 THE GNOO. 
soil, and the other clean his carriages and groom his horses: in fact, they became quite 
pets with all parties, and seemed to forget their wild haunts and mountain dwellings, in 
the warmer and less terrific asylums of civilized man.” 
As the hind legs exceed the fore limbs in length, the Chamois is better fitted for the 
ascent of steep ground than for descending, and never exhibits its wonderful powers 
with such success as when it is leaping lightly and rapidly up the face of an 
apparently inaccessible rock; taking advantage of every little projection to add 
impetus to its progress. Even when standing still, it is able to mount to a higher 
spot without leapimg. It stands erect on its hind legs, places its fore-feet on some 
narrow shelf of rock, and by a sudden exertion, draws its whole body upon the ledge, 
where it stands secure. 
The food of the Chamois consists of the various herbs which grow upon the 
mountains, and in the winter season it finds its nourishment on the buds of sundry trees, 
mostly of an aromatic nature, such as the fir, pine, and juniper. In consequence of this 
diet, the flesh assumes a rather powerful odour, which is decidedly repulsive to the 
palates of some persons, while others seem to appreciate the peculiar flavour, and to value 
it as highly as the modern gourmand appreciates the “gamey” flavour of long kept 
venison. ‘The skin is largely employed in the manufacture of a certain leather, which is 
widely famous for its soft though tough character. The colour of the Chamois is yellowish- 
brown upon the greater portion of the body, the spinal line being marked with a black 
streak. In the winter months, the fur darkens and becomes blackish-brown. The face, 
cheeks, and throat are of a yellowish-white hue, diversified by a dark brownish-black band 
which passes from the corner of the mouth to the eyes, when it suddenly dilates and 
forms a nearly perfect ring round the eyes. The horns are jetty black and highly polished, 
especially towards the tips, which are extremely sharp. There are several obscure rings on 
the basal portions, and their entire surface is marked with longitudinal lines. 
Several varieties of the Chamois are recorded, but the distinctions between them 
lie only in the comparative length of the horns and the hue of the coat. The full-grown 
Chamois is rather more than two feet in height, and the horns are from six to eight 
inches long. 
The PRONG-HORNED ANTELOPE, or CABRIT, bears some resemblance to the Chamois, 
from which animal it may be known by a peculiar structure of the horns, which throw out 
a projecting point, or prong, just at the spot where the horns begin their backward curve. 
It is a native of North America, where it is sometimes called the Spring-Buck, to the 
great confusion of zoological neophytes. It is an active and vigorous animal, and cannot 
be easily overtaken by a horse unless its footsteps are hindered by a fall of snow. It is 
a gregarious animal, migrating at different times of the year. It inhabits the vast prairies 
of the Far West, and is there, under the popular name of the Antelope, an object of pursuit 
by bipedal and quadrupedal hunters. Its scientific title is Antilocapra Americdna. 
OF all the Antelopes, the GNoo presents the most extraordinary conformation. At 
the first sight of this curious animal, the spectator seems to doubt whether it is a horse, a 
bull, or an Antelope, as it appears to partake nearly equally of the nature of these three 
animals. 
The Gnoos, of which there are several species, may be easily recognised by their fierce 
looking head, their peculiarly shaped horns, which are bent downwards and then upwards 
again with a sharp curve, by their broad nose, and long hair-clad tail. They live together in 
considerable herds, often mixing with zebras, ostriches, and giraffes, in one huge army of 
living beings. In their habits they are not unlike the wild cattle which have already 
been described. Suspicious, timid, curious of disposition, and irritable of temper, they 
display these mingled qualities in a very ludicrous manner whenever they are alarmed by 
a strange object. 
“They commence whisking their long white tails,” says Cumming, “in a most 
eccentric manner; then, springing suddenly into the air, they begin pawing and capering, 
and pursue each other in circles at their utmost speed. Suddenly they all pull up 
together to overhaul the intruder, when some of the bulls will often commence fighting in 
