THE GNOO. 



213 



between them lie only in the comparative length of the horns and the 

 hue of the coat. The full-grown Chamois is rather more than two feet 

 in height, and the horns are from six to eight inches long. 



Of all the Antelopes, the Gnoo presents the most extraordinary con- 

 formation. At the first sight of this curious animal the spectator seems 

 to doubt whether it is a horse, a bull, or an Antelope, as it appears to 

 partake nearly equally of the nature of these three animals. 



The Gnoos, of which there 

 are several species, may be 

 easily recognized by the fierce- 

 looking head, their peculiarly 

 shaped horns, which are bent 

 downward and then upward 

 again with a sharp curve, by 

 their broad nose and long 

 hair-clad tail. They live to- 

 gether in considerable herds, 

 often mixing with zebras, os- 

 triches, and giraflTes in one huge 

 army of living beings. In their 

 habits they are not unlike the 

 wild cattle which have already 

 been described. Suspicious, 

 timid, curious of disposition, and irritable of temper, they display 

 these mingled qualities in a very ludicrous manner whenever they are 

 alarmed by a strange object. 



" They commence whisking their long white tails/' says Gumming, 

 "in a most eccentric manner; then, springing suddenly into the air, 

 they begin pawing and capering, and pursue each other in circles at 

 their utmost speed. Sudtlenly they all pull up together to overhaul 

 the intruder, when some of the bulls will often commence fighting in 

 the most violent manner, dropping on their knees at every shock ; then, 

 quickly wheeling about, they kick up their heels, whirl their tails with 

 a fantastic flourish, and scour across the plain, enveloped in a cloud of 

 dust." On account of these extraordinary manoeuvres, the Gnoo is 

 called Wildebeest by the Dutch settlers. The Gnoos in the Zoological 

 Gardens may often be seen at their gambols. 



The color of the ordinary Gnoo ( Connochetes Gnu) is brownish black, 

 sometimes with a blue-gray wash. The mane is black, with the excep- 

 tion of the lower part, which is often grayish white, as is the lower part 

 of the tail. The nose is covered with a tuft of reversed hair, and there 

 is a mane upon the chest. 



The Gnoo is about three feet nine inches high at the shoulders, and 

 measures about six feet six inches from the nose to the root of the tail. 



The Gnoo {Connochtlts Gnu). 



