350 THE STORY OF THE ANTELOPE. 



The hartebeest of South Ah'ica gets its name from its supposed Hkeness 

 to a stag. 



All these animals differ from wildebeests by their long and pointed heads, 

 ending in a narrow muzzle; their ringed horns, the absence of a mane on 

 the neck or throat, and their shorter and less thickly-haired tail. 



The true hartebeest is a South African species, not ranging as far north 

 as Matabeleland and Mashonaland. This fine animal stands about four feet 

 at the withers; its general color being grayish brown, with a pale yellowish 



THE HARTEBEEST. 



patch on each side of the haunches, and black markings on the forehead and 

 nose. The hair of the face is reversed as high up as the eyes, or even to the 

 horns. The horns are long and boldly ringed, diverging from one another 

 in the form of a V, with their tips directed backwards at a right angle, 

 and the bases curved away behind the plane of the forehead. Their length 

 varies in good specimens from 20 to 24 inches. It is one of the fastest ante- 

 lopes in Africa, and possesses such strength as to render it almost impossible 

 for anything under a whole pack of strong and swift hounds to bring it to bay. 



