VARIOUS ANTELOPES 



335 



HORNS OF THE KUDU. 



small Eland, though the horns are often much longer than 



in the larger animal, some 



specimens measuring over 



five feet along the curve. 



Captain Harris considered it 



to be the most majestic in its 



carriage of all the Antelopes. 



Inhabiting brushwood tracts, 



the immense horns would 



appear likely to prove a great 



hindrance to rapid progress ; 



but the animal lays its horns 



upon its back and dashes 



through the mazes of scrub 



growth without difficulty. 



Kudu skin is highly prized. 



No other thin, tough leather 



will make so good a whiplash for the long whips that are 



used in oxen team driving, &c. 



The Hartebeest (Bubalis caama) is typical of a genus 

 which includes animals ranging widely separated regions, 

 all of which, with one or two exceptions, are confined to 

 Africa, the happy hunting-ground of the Antelope family. 

 The animal gains its name from its more than remote 

 resemblance to a stag ; but it is also often called the Cervine 

 Antelope. It can at once be recognised by the peculiar 

 form of its horns, which are first curved slightly forwards 

 and then bent suddenly backwards. Like the Blue Ox of 

 India, the Hartebeest drops upon its knees to make use of 

 its horns. 



The common Hartebeest is a South African species that is 

 limited to the regions south of Mashonaland. This animal 

 is desperately tenacious of life. Even with a broken limb 

 or a bullet through its body and penetrating a lung, it will 

 still forge along in front of its pursuer, and not infrequently 

 make its escape. As the habitat of the Hartebeest is only the 

 remote desert regions, it is not very likely to die out. This 

 applies equally to several other species, which are hunted 

 only with the greatest difficulty, for if the Antelopes con- 

 cerned can exist without drinking, the horses necessary to 



