334 HOOFED ANIMALS 



to the utmost. A well-known naturalist and sportsman 

 says : ' The ostrich, with his vaunted power of vision, is com- 

 paratively near-sighted when compared to the Pronghorn. 

 The giraffe may excel him, not from having superior eyes, 

 but from their greater elevation, and therefore greater scope. 

 The deer is simply nowhere in this respect. I never had 

 any difficulty in getting within two hundred yards of an 

 ostrich in any decent place ; yet I at first found it difficult 

 to get within six hundred yards of a Pronghorn, and then 

 it was invariably a wideawake one, fully able to take care 

 of himself.' 



The flesh of the Pronghorn is excellent, although it bears 

 a peculiar odour which some people consider unpleasant. 

 Like many other North American animals, this Antelope is 

 rapidly approaching the point of extinction, and it is now 

 only found in the more remote Western regions. 



MISCELLANEOUS ANTELOPES. 



Of the remaining Antelopes can be briefly mentioned, in 

 almost haphazard order, only a few that possess some more 

 or less specially marked characteristic. The Saiga Antelope 

 (Saiga tatarica) is the only desert Antelope which is found 

 in Europe, chiefly on the steppes of Russia, from which the 

 animal extends into Asia. It is about equal in size to the 

 common goat. The nostrils of the animal are curiously 

 inflated, giving the head a generally swollen appearance, 

 more than matching its rather ungainly build. 



The Klipspringer (Oreotragus saltator), Plate XXXIII. 

 Fig. i, prefers rocky ground, as signified in its name, 

 which means 'rock jumper.' The animal ranges from Cape 

 Colony through most of East Africa to Abyssinia, in which 

 regions it traverses even precipices with wonderful activity 

 and sureness of foot. It is an olive-coloured little animal, 

 not exceeding two feet in height, with horns only four or 

 five inches long, which bend forward at their tips. The 

 skin of the legs, with the little hoof attached, is frequently 

 used by the Kaffir belles as an anklet or bracelet. 



The Kudu (Strepsiceros kudu) roams very much the same 

 regions as the last-named. It somewhat resembles a 



