90 



ANIMAL SKETCHES. 



CHAP. 



in his natural patchouli. But in the practical economics 

 of the animal kingdom utility takes precedence of beauty, 

 or, at any rate, the beautiful is built upon the practical 

 basis of the useful. And it is as weapons (even if, as Mr. 

 Bland Sutton believes, they originated in abnormal or 

 diseased conditions of the brow) that the horns have 

 reached their full development. Few of us have seen a 





LION AND OIIYX. 



fight between wild buffaloes such as the Hon. W. H. 

 Drummond witnessed at the Cape ; but many of us have 

 seen the horned cattle of our parks butting at each other 

 in mock combat, if not in the serious earnest of battle. 

 When fighting the ox tribe run at each other and clash 

 their mighty heads together ; but the more delicate-horned 

 chamois, we are told, lowers his head under the throat of 

 his antagonist, or turns his head sideways that the sharp 



