24 



of 



longer than the fore ones, not only give 

 additional swiftness, but greater security, in 

 ascending and descending precipices, a prac- 

 tice in which the Antelope greatly delights. 

 The majority of the species are brown 011 the 

 back, and white under the belly, with a black 

 stripe separating those colours. The tail is 

 of various lengths, but always covered with 

 pretty long hair ; and the ears, which are 

 beautiful and well placed, terminate in a 

 point. The hoof is cloven, like that of the 

 sheep ; and the horns are perennial. The 

 length, size, and turn of the horns, the differ- 

 ent spots in the skin, or diversities of size, 

 constitute the chief distinctions which mark 

 the several species. They mostly inhabit 

 the torrid regions, or such parts of the tem- 

 perate zone as are nearly contiguous, fre- 

 quenting the cliffs and ledges of rocks, or 

 traversing vast untrodden wildernesses. 

 Africa appears to be their great nursery, but 

 many kinds are natives of Asia ; very few 

 are met with in Europe ; and it is remark- 

 able that, notwithstanding the warmth of 

 South America is well suited to their nature, 

 only a single species of Antelope is to be 

 found in any part of the New World. 



Having made these general remarks, it is 

 necessary, for the sake of perspicuity, to con- 

 sider Antelopes as divided into sub-genera, 

 or families. It has been customary to class 

 them as follows : 1. True Antelopes ; 2. 

 Bush Antelopes ; 3. Capriform (or goat- 

 like) Antelopes ; and 4. Bovine (or ox-like) 

 Antelopes. But some late writers on zoology 

 have rendered the sub-division infinitely 

 more minute ; the species in many instances 

 closely bordering on each other, while there 

 are others in which scarcely any correspond- 

 ing features can be distinctly traced. Thus, 

 as an eminent naturalist has remarked, " the 

 genus Antelope has become a kind of zoolo- 

 gical refuge for the destitute, and forms an 

 incongruous assemblage of all the hollow- 

 horned ruminants together. So diversified 

 are its forms, and so incongruous its mate- 

 rials, that it presents not a single character 

 which will either apply to all its species, or 

 suffice to differentiate it from conterminous 

 genera." 



The COMMON ANTELOPE, or SASIN. 

 (Antilope Cervicapra.) This elegant speci- 

 men of the Antelope tribe is a native of 

 many parts of Africa, and also of India. It 

 is somewhat smaller than a fallow deer, and 

 is remarkable for the peculiar beauty of its 

 long spiral horns, which are distinctly 

 marked by numerous prominent rings ; its 

 colour is a reddish tawny brown above, and 

 white below ; the legs are long and delicate, 

 the body round, but light and well formed ; 

 the eyes large and expressive, and their 

 orbits white. They are extremely wary, and 

 when feeding or lying down are guarded by 

 sentinels, who give the alarm on the slight- 

 est appear nee of danger ; and such is their 

 fleetness and activity, that, they often vault 

 over nets ten feet high, and when pursued, 

 will pass over as many yards at a single 

 bound. [See SPRINGBOK, PRONGBUCK, GNU, 

 GAZELLE, KOODO, STEENBOK, NYLGHAU, 

 CM.] 



TILOPE OERVI- 



ANTHICID-ffi. A tribe of Coleopterous 

 insects, possessing simple or but slightly ser- 

 rated and fili- 

 form antennae ; 

 the maxillary 

 palpi are termi- 



-r- r- vjisw-v i- natedbyahatch- 



J^J,-mT\ kk et-shaped joint ; 

 1 /VflwA 1 and the Penulti- 

 mate joint of the 

 tarsi is bilobed. 

 Some of these 

 species are found 



ANTHICUS TjATEFU FUNC' 

 TATDS 



/ 



upon plants, but 

 the maj ority live 

 on the ground, 

 and run with great quickness : their larvae 

 are probably parasites. They compose the 

 genera Notoxus, Anthicus, &c. 



ANTHOBII. A section of Coleopterous 

 insects, composed of species inhabiting the 

 southern parts of Europe and the warm parts 

 of both hemispheres. They are distinguished 

 by the two divisions of the lower lip being 

 produced considerably beyond the mentum, 

 and the elytra gaping at the tips, which are 

 rounded ; the antennae have nine or ten 

 joints, the last three composing the club ; 

 the terminal lobe of the maxillse is membra- 

 nous, silky, and pencil-like, but leathery in 

 others ; the upper lip and mandibles are 

 more or less solid, as they are more or less 

 exposed. These insects live upon flowers or 

 leaves. 



ANTHOCH^RA. A genua of birds 

 belonging to the family Meliphagidce, or 

 Honey-eaters, several species of which are 

 found in New Holland. As an example of 

 this interesting genus we give 



The ANTHOCH^ERA MELLIVORA, 

 or BUSH WATTLE-BIRD ; a bird con- 

 stantly found where there are Banksias, in 

 New South Wales, South Australia, and Van 

 Diemen's Land. It is bold and spirited, 

 fearlessly attacking and driving away all 

 other birds from the part of the tree on which 

 it is feeding. In spring and summer the 

 male perches on some elevated branch, and 



screams forth his harsh and peculiar notes, 



like a person vomiting, whence its local 



