A N T E LOPES. 



149 



found only in the more remote and wilder parts, and 

 they are not very plentiful even there. Report says 

 that nature, as is usual in all cases of ignorant and 

 wanton destruction, is taking her revenge, and that 

 the karroos, which once afforded seasonal pasture to so 

 many antelopes, are fast passing into perennial and 

 irreclaimable deserts. This is exactly what might 

 have been expected ; the grazing animals are just as 

 necessary to the plants on which they feed as the 

 plants are to the animals, so that the destruction of 

 the one, where cultivation comes not instead, always 

 involves the destruction of the other. But these 

 animals are large ; their flesh is far more tender and 

 juicy, and of finer flavour than that of any of the other 

 antelopes ; and when in season they are very plump 

 and fat. Thus, as has often been the case in other 

 matters, the superiority of their usefulness to man has 

 been the cause of their destruction. 



The CAAMA (A. caamd) has, in some of its habits, 

 and in the flavour of its flesh, more resemblance to 

 the ox tribe than even the canna. The species of 

 antelope to which the caama has the closest likeness 

 is the beker-el-wosh (wild cow of northern Africa), 

 which at a distance has no inconsiderable resemblance 

 to a cow with a thin body and long legs. The 

 dimensions are large, the full grown male being at 

 least seven feet in length, and standing five at the 

 shoulder ; but the dimensions of the female are con- 

 siderably less. The body is strong and compact, 

 especially about the haunches ; the neck has none of 

 the ox character, but is round, and has a contrary 

 flexure. The muzzle is much produced, slender and 

 rather pointed ; the ears are large ; and the horns 

 are not far out of the plane of the forehead, though 

 inclining a little forwards during the basal half of 

 their length. The surface of that half, especially on 

 the anterior side, is very rough and knobby, while 

 the remaining half, which is nearly parallel to the line 

 of the face, is smooth. The tail is of moderate length, 

 slender, and with a brush at the end. The general 

 colour of the upper part in this species is yellowish- 

 rusty, darkest on the shoulders and ridge of the back. 

 The general colour below is white ; and there is a 

 large triangular white spot upon each hip. A spot 

 before the base of each horn, another on the terminal 

 part of the under jaw, and the brush of the tail are 

 black. 



These animals are found on the dry plains of 

 Southern Africa., in little parties of from a dozen to 

 twenty, but keeping close to each other, and appa- 

 -rently mucli attached. The party is generally under 

 the leadership of one old buck, who exorcises pretty 

 severe and constant discipline ; but is just as ready 

 to defend his charge when danger appears. The 

 Dutch boors call him the " hartebeest," that is, the 

 buck ox or the stag ox; and though, in his more 

 essential characters, he is a true antelope, he certainly 

 has some of the appearances of the ox and some of 

 the habits of the stag. One of the most remarkable 

 of the latter is, that of " standing at gaze," that is. 

 taking a long, steady, and determined look, full faced, 

 at any thing suspicious, in order to deliberate, as it 

 should seem, whether to fight or to fly be the better 

 alternative. If the former is the conclusion, attack 

 is the mode of warfare ; and though the mode of 

 attack is not peculiar to this species of antelope, but 

 common to most of the larger ones which inhabit 

 open places, it is still both curious, and, to an unwary 

 enemy, most formidable. He marches toward the 



enemy, snuffing the air and menacing a little with 

 his horns till he succeeds in arresting his enemy's 

 fixed attention. Then he drops on the knees of the 

 fore-legs, and brings the muzzle backwards till the 

 horns are charging in front like spears or bayonets. 

 In this way he shuffles forward till he judges his 

 distance to be the proper one for the spring ; and 

 then he bounds forward as if discharged from a bow, 

 delivering the whole weight and impetus of his body 

 upon the horns, in such a manner as would transfix a 

 lion, were even that powerful beast to abide the 

 collision. By a steady oye he, and all others that 

 have this habit, are, however, easily avoided ; as one 

 step taken hastily aside after they are in the air, is 

 sure to cause them to miss fheir aim. Though the 

 caarnahas been much thinned by that indiscriminate 

 slaughter which has been practised against all wild 

 creatures in southern Africa, it is still the most nu- 

 merous and also the most resident of all the larger 

 antelopes ; and considering the very hard pasture on 

 which it can subsist, compared with that upon which 

 beef and mutton can be rendered any thing like 

 tolerable, and considering also the hints which, so to 

 speak, the animal itself has absolutely given to that 

 effect, it is really astonishing that it has not been 

 added to the list of domestic animals. The young, 

 of which the female produces a single one in the 

 year, in September or in April, according to circum- 

 stances, are very easily domesticated ; and as the 

 flesh of the animals is abundantly sweet, and im- 

 provable with improved pasture, they might be made 

 valuable. 



The OUREBT, the bleekbok of the Dutch (A. sco- 

 paria, from its large knee brushes), is a much smaller 

 species than the former, but inhabits nearly the same 

 places, but is perhaps not quite so gregarious. In 

 some of its characters it has a resemblance to the 

 nyl-ghau of India, but it is considerably smaller. 

 In the Cape Colony it is much more numerous to- 

 ward the east and north-east, and beyond the British 

 frontier ; and it is sometimes supposed to extend 

 along the whole eastern side of Africa, as far as at 

 least the remoter sources of the Nile, if not farther. 

 Its flesh is held in considerable estimation ; but from 

 the peculiar character of its pastures it is very dry 

 to Europeans. It is said, however, when cured, to 

 support the strength for a long time. 

 . These animals are numerous, and they feed near 

 each other, so much so, that all those which are found 

 on the same pasture appear to be acquainted with 

 each other. But they are merely acquaintance upon 

 good terms, but doing nothing in concert. If one is 

 taken the rest show no alarm ; and if an alarm is given 

 to the herd, each one seeks safety in its own indepen- 

 dent course. Their associating in numbers without 

 any principle of society, leader or rallying point, puts 

 one much more in mind of the flocking of birds than 

 of the usual associating of gregarious mammalia. 



The dimensions of the Ourebi are, from the muzzle 

 to the insertion of the horns, about seven and a half 

 inches, the nock and body thence to the tail about 

 three feet, and the tail about three inches and a half. 

 The height at the shoulder is about one foot ten 

 inches, and that at the croup fully two inches more. 

 The horns are five or six inches long, rather slender, 

 but firm, nearly straight, and very sharp at the points. 

 They have a Few wrinkles at the base, and then five 

 or six well-marked rings ; but these do not occupy 

 altogether above an inch and a half at the base, so 



