30 THE HUNTER'S ARCADIA. 



seldom utilised for any purpose. This, I think, must 

 result from their abundance, and, consequently, unap- 

 preciatedness, terms too often synonymous, for, without 

 doubt, there are numerous services to which they could 

 be applied. An animal the size of a steinbok or 

 duiker, if killed at home, would be considered by the 

 sportsman as a great trophy, therefore I will give a 

 brief description of each. 



Commencing with the steinbok (Tragulus ru- 

 pestris), it is one of the most beautiful and graceful 

 animals to be found in any part of the world. The eye 

 of the gazelle has been lauded from time immemorial,, 

 by writers of both verse and prose, as unequalled for 

 its tenderness and beauty of expression. In this 

 species it is markedly deserving of admiration, the 

 languishing glance of a Spanish senorita, or the timid, 

 startled gaze of an Eastern houri, falling far short of 

 the liquid softness characteristic of the orb of this 

 charming creature. Its head is short and pointed, the 

 muzzle being remarkably small, while the mouth is so 

 dainty and so beautifully placed that for it to feed upon 

 other than the most delicate herbage would almost 

 appear sacrilege. The ears are much developed, broad 

 and round, while the tail, scarcely an inch in length, 



