I 1 8 NATURAL HISTORY ESSAYS 



anatomists rather than as naturalists ; but their 

 versatile minds turned with ready interest to the 

 sciences ancillary to medicine. Thus the hibernation 

 of the hedgehog and the anatomy of the caracal 

 lynx occupied their attention, as did also the subject 

 of the present Essay, the beautiful nilgai antelope. 



The nilgai {Boselaphus tr ago came lus) stands about 

 fifty-four inches high at the shoulder, and tapes about 

 six and a half feet in length ; the tail measures about 

 eighteen inches. The graceful head is rather small, 

 and is provided (in the males only) with a pair of 

 short, smooth, and nearly straight horns ; these are 

 triangular at the base, becoming cylindrical near the 

 tip. The muzzle during life is leaden colour, 

 coarsely granulated, and so moist as to appear 

 newly varnished ; it is provided with a number of 

 fine, long, delicate hairs or vibrissae. The neck is 

 flattish, and is scantily maned along the nape to the 

 withers ; the throat in the males bears a tuft of wiry 

 hair. The forelegs are longer than the hind ones, 

 and the withers are humped ; the tail is tufted and 

 reaches to the hocks. Young animals are brown, 

 and the females remain always of this colour ; but at 

 twelve months old the bulls begin to darken and 

 when fully adult are rich grey, tinged with blue or 

 brown. The under parts are white in both sexes, 

 as are also the fetlocks ; hence the name of " white- 

 footed antelope " applied to this species by Pennant. 

 There are a few white marks on face, ears, 



