THE ORYX 869 



r'"' 



Our accounts of its habits are far from full, but its general mode of life is probably 

 very similar to that of the gemsbok. The addax is hunted by the Bedouins, partly 

 for the sake of its flesh, partly in order to capture the young, and also to test the 

 speed of their horses and greyhounds. Large hunting parties are assembled for this 

 purpose, and the expeditions may last for several weeks. The skeleton of the addax 

 is figured on p. 856. 



ORYX 

 Genus Oryx 



Under the title of oryx may be included five species of antelope, distinguished 

 from the addax by their straight or recurved horns, their longer and more bushy 

 tails, the small size of the mane on the neck, and by the throat being either short 

 haired or furnished with a single tuft of long hair. The horns, which are of great 

 length, slope backward more or less nearly in the plane of the face. Oryx are found 

 throughout the desert regions of Africa, and also range into Arabia and Syria. 



Commencing with South Africa, we find the group represented by 



the gemsbok (Oryx gazella), characterized by its long straight horns, 

 ringed for about half their length, the tuft of hair on the throat, and the black 

 markings on the head, body, and limbs. The gemsbok stands about four feet in 

 height, and its general color is grayish, becoming white beneath. A black stripe on 

 the flanks divides the gray of the sides from the white below, and there is also a 

 black area on the haunches extending as a line on the back, and continued over the 

 whole of the tail. In addition to this, there is also black on the upper parts of the 

 limbs, on the front of the legs above the fetlocks, and along the throat; the throat 

 stripe dividing and running up 

 the sides of the head nearly to 

 the ears. On the face a black 

 stripe runs from each horn 

 through the eye nearly to the 

 muzzle, w r hich is connected by a 

 narrow stripe with a broad black 

 patch on the centre of the fore- 

 head, thus completely isolating 



the white of the muzzle from HEAD OF GEMSBOK. 



that of the upper part of the face. 

 Mr. Selous states that the longest male horns of this species which he saw measured 

 forty-two inches in length, while those of the female may reach forty-six and one- 

 half inches. Horns have, however, been recorded measuring forty-seven and one- 

 half inches. 



Gemsbok inhabit the desert regions of Southwestern Africa, and are 



_.MI r_.-_i__ common j n t jj e Kalahari desert, while in Damaraland they 



are reported to occur in large herds; north of the Chobe river they 

 appear to be unknown. On the West Coast they occur in Senegambia, Timbuktu, 

 and the Niger district. Mr. Selous says that they are generally met with where the 



