HISTORY OF THE GNU. 39 



diverge and form a kind of star ; this radiated eye gives to 

 the animal a fierce and uncommon look. The same sort 

 of vibrissae is thinly dispersed over the lips. The neck is 

 little more than a foot long ; on the upper part is a mane 

 extending beyond the shoulders, erect, and five inches in 

 length ; the hair like bristles black in the middle, and white 

 on each side. This mane appears as if it had been cut and 

 trimmed with nice attention. A ridge of black hair, from 

 six inches to a foot in length, extends from the fore part of 

 the chest, under the fore legs, to the beginning of the obdo- 

 men. The body is about three feet two inches long. The 

 joints of the hip bones project high, and form on the haunches 

 a pair of hemispheres. The tail is two feet long, flat near 

 the root, where the hair grows only at the sides ; this is 

 white, bristly, and bushy. The entire length, from the 

 point of the nose to the end of the tail, is seven feet ten 

 inches ; the height three feet six inches. The color is that 

 of a mouse, with a few ferruginous straggling hairs on the 

 sides. Like the mare it has only two teats ; and all its 

 motions and habits are equine. Though a small animal, it 

 appears of considerable size when prancing over the 

 plains. The gnu might be considered as an emblem of 

 unbounded freedom, with the means of supporting it. It 

 possesses, in an eminent degree, strength, swiftness, wea- 

 pons of defence, acute scent, and a quick sight. When 

 they happen to be disturbed, the whole herd begin to draw 

 together, and to butt each other with their horns, to bound, 

 and play their various gambols, after which they gallop off 

 to a distance. Their motions are extremely free, varied, 

 and always elegant. Fierce and vicious as this animal 

 certainly is in its wild state, yet it probably might not be 

 very difficult of domestication. No successful attemps, 

 however, have yet been made to tame it. The flesh is so 

 like that of an ox, both in appearance and taste, that it is 

 not to be distinguished from it." 



