THE ORYX 



871 



Beisa 



In Abyssinia and Somaliland as well as on trie Red Sea littoral near 

 Suakin, the gemsbok is replaced by the beisa (O. beisa), readily dis- 

 tinguished by the absence of the tuft of hair on the throat, and by the black patch 

 on the front of the face being completely separated from the stripe running through 

 the eye. There is no black on the haunches and thighs, and the horns also are 

 shorter and less divergent, their maximum recorded length being thirty-six inches in 

 the male and thirty-seven inches in the female. The beisa is probably the true oryx 

 of the ancients, and may be the animal which gave rise to the legend of the unicorn. 



THE SABRE-HORNED ANTELOPE. 

 (One-tenth natural size.) 



Mr. Blanford says that in Abyssinia these animals are found in herds of considera- 

 ble size, when they present an imposing appearance. Their favorite pace is a quick 

 walk or trot, and they only break into a gallop when frightened. At such times 

 they dash off with lowered heads and upraised tails, at the same time puffing and 

 snorting. In Somaliland the beisa, according to Captain Swayne, chiefly frequents 

 open stony grounds or grassy plains, but it may be found in any kind of country ex- 

 cept thick jungle or the cedar forests. The herds are chiefly composed of cows, the 



