144 NATURAL HISTORY ESSAYS 



then the hot African night settles down like a curtain 

 over the desert. 



The leucoryx (Oryx leucoryx] abou harb of the 

 Kubabish Arabs stands about 40 inches at the 

 withers ; it is a fine sturdy beast, its long curved 

 horns and sweeping tail giving it a thoroughly wild 

 game-like appearance that renders it most attractive. 

 The general colour of the leucoryx is reddish or 

 reddish white ; the neck and shoulders are ruddy 

 brown, and there are brown patches on the limbs, 

 somewhat as in other members of the family. The 

 usual style of ornamentation is, however, but faintly 

 developed. The triangular face markings of the 

 other oryxes occur in the present species, as also the 

 stripe running through the eye; but they are marked 

 in greyish brown rather than black or blackish, while 

 there is no dorsal stripe at all, and only a faint 

 longitudinal one. The legs and abdomen are 

 whitish ; tail tassel black. Maximum length of 

 horns 3 feet 3^/6 inches. 



At the present day the leucoryx inhabits both 

 Nubia and Senegal ; it is also recorded from Lokoja 

 on the Niger, and probably, like the addax antelope 

 and fennec fox, ranges right across Africa. It 

 appears to have been known to the ancient Egyptians 

 under the name of toa or tao ; and in the inner 

 chamber of the Great Pyramid of Memphis a number 

 of these antelopes are depicted. Some are being led 

 along by a cord round the neck or by the horns, 



