112 LETTER XX. 



who stroked them, or gave them food, and never ap- 

 peared inclined to use their horns offensively. Their 

 sense of smelling seems to be very acute, and they 

 snuff exceedingly when any person approaches them. 

 In the rutting season, however, they are fierce ; and 

 a labouring man, having approached the inclosure 

 where some of these animals were kept, the nyl-ghau 

 made furiously at him, with the rapidity of lightning, 

 'and darted against the pail ing with such force as to 

 break one of its horns, which occasioned its death. 



The animals here described, appeared to be of a 

 middle race, partaking of two different kinds, although 

 it is difficult to determine which has the preponde- 

 rance. The singular quadruped, which will be our 

 next object of attention, has by some been also con- 

 sidered as of a middle nature j but it seems rather to 

 be a distinct genus. 



THE CAMELEOPARD, 



When standing erect, measures in height, to the 

 top of the head, seventeen or eighteen feet ; but its 

 hind-legs are little more than half as long as the fore 

 ones, a disproportion which prevents it from running 

 swiftly, and rentiers its pace waddling and inelegant. 

 Its neck is not less than seven or eight feet in length, 

 and decorated with a short mane : its head is also 

 adorned with two perpendicular horns, covered with 

 hair, and tufted at the ends with a circle of short 

 black hairs : its ears are long, and its eves brrlliant 

 and large. The colour of this animal is a light grey, 

 which in the male is interspersed with spots of a dark 

 brown colour over the whole body, and of a pale yel- 

 low in the female. It is a timid and gentle creature, 

 being equally destitute of the means of attack and 

 defence, and by the disproportion of its parts, ill cal- 

 culated for flight, which is probably the cause of its 

 being so rare. It lives wholly on vegetables, rumi- 

 nates, and is cloven-footed. 



This singular rarity of animated nature is found 

 only in the most sequestered regions of Africa, (M. 

 Button says that it is also a native of India) and is 

 very seldom exhibited in Europe. It was, however, 



