170 



ANTILOPID.E. MAMMALIA. ASTILOPID^E. 



twenty prominent annulations, and curved inwards at 

 the tip. The fur exhibits a bright rufous-dun colour, 

 the flanks being marked on either side by a broad, rich, 

 and deep chestnut-coloured band. The belly and in- 

 sides of the legs are quite white. One of the most 

 curious features in this species consists in the presence 

 of several folds of integument over the rump and loins, 

 which, when the animal is excited, are unfolded, and 

 by the snow-white aspect of the fur at this point, pre- 

 sent a very singular appearance. The tail is about 

 eight inches in length, and tufted with black hairs. 



THE GAZELLE (Gazella Dorcas) is a native of North- 

 eastern Africa, and from its extreme elegance of form, 

 coupled with large, full, lustrous eyes, has deservedly 

 acquired distinction. The Gazelle or Corinne, as the 

 female is sometimes called, stands less than two feet 

 high at the withers, and is furnished with a pair of 

 strongly annulated horns about ten inches in length. 

 The ears are conspicuous and sharply pointed. The 

 fur is more or less fawn-coloured or fulvous, but varies 

 according to age. The habits of the Gazelle are gre- 

 garious. Considering their slender build, they are 

 remarkably courageous, and will unite to defend them- 

 selves against the strongest Carnivora, although they 

 usually fall victims to these overpowering enemies. 



THE STEEN-BOC (Antilope tragulus) was formerly 

 a very common species, inhabiting the mountainous 

 plains and open valleys of Southern Africa ; but now it 

 is becoming comparatively rare in the colony. It 

 stands about twenty-two inches high at the shoulder, 

 and is furnished with round slender horns, about four 

 inches long. The ears are large, but the tail is only 

 rudimentary, and scarcely an inch in length. The fur 

 has a rich rufous colour. The habits of the Steen-boc 

 are monogamous, or solitary ; the females being horn- 

 less, and provided with four mammse. 



THE GBYS-BOC (Antilope meldnotis) pretty closely 

 resembles the steen-boc, both as respects its solitary 

 habits and general appearance. The horns are about 

 three and a half inches long, the general colour of 

 the fur being of a deep chocolate red. The ears are 

 broad and rounded. The Grys-boc is found more par- 

 ticularly among the wooded districts bordering the sea- 

 coast. The females are hornless, and provided with 

 only two mamma?. 



THE DUIKER-BOC (Antilope Grimmia), or IMPOON 

 of the Matabili, is also a Cape species frequenting those 

 districts near the sea-coast, and possessed of mono- 

 gamous habits. It is about two feet in height, the 

 horns being four inches long, and marked by a longi- 

 tudinal ridge in front, which traverses four or five 

 rings at the middle. The fur is yellowish-brown ; but 

 in winter it assumes a cinereous olive tint ; the fore- 

 head being clothed with a patch of long fulvous- 

 coloured hair. The tail is short, black, and tipped 

 with white. The female has four mammae ; her horns 

 being very short, and concealed beneath the hair. 



THE BLESS-BOC (Antilope albifrons), or WHITE- 

 FACED ANTELOPE, is a native of Southern Africa, 

 inhabiting the plains bordering on the Vaal river, 

 and herding in immense flocks. A full-grown buck 

 stands three feet and a half in height, and carries a 

 pair of diverging annulated horns, measuring from 



twelve to fifteen inches in length. The fur has a deep 

 chocolate colour in front, gradually passing into a hoary 

 bluish- white on the back and shoulders, the belly being 

 quite white. The tail is long, reaching to the hocks. 

 The female is similar, but of lighter build. 



THE BHEE-BOC (Antilope Capreolus), is a gracefully 

 formed Cape species, occurring in small herds amongst 

 the hills and rocks in the neighbourhood of water pools 

 and dried-up rivers. It stands about two feet four 

 inches high, and is furnished with straight, slender, 

 vertically-pointed horns, nine inches in length. The 

 fur has a light rufous-grey colour, being white under- 

 neath the belly; its texture is woolly. The females 

 have four mammse, and are hornless. 



THE BEIT-BOG (Antilope eleotragus), or IXGHALLA, 

 possesses similar habits, and is a comparatively rare 

 species, occurring only in the more northern parts of 

 Cape colony, and higher up in the interior. It is 

 larger than the foregoing, standing three feet high ; 

 the horns measure about a foot in length, and are 

 annulated. The ears are long and pointed; the tail 

 being also conspicuously developed. The fur exhibits 

 a dull ash-grey colour, having a rufous tinge above, 

 while it is lighter underneath. The females have four 

 mammae, are smaller than the bucks, and hornless. 

 The reit-boc is gregarious in small families. 



THE WATEB-BOC (Antilope ellipsiprimna), or PHI- 

 TOMOK of the Matabili, stands upwards of four feet 

 at the shoulders. The horns are strongly annu- 

 lated, upright, diverging, of a whitish-green colour, and 

 upwards of thirty inches in length, the last six inches 

 being smooth and destitute of rings. The fur has a 

 greyish-brown tint generally ; a white patch occurs on 

 the throat, and a similar streak before each eye. The 

 ears are full and rounded ; the tail being brown and 

 tufted, and scarcely reaching to the hocks. There are 

 no suborbital sinuses. The females are hornless, and 

 have two mammae. The Phitomoks are gregarious, 

 inhabiting the banks of the rivers of Southern Africa, 

 especially those of the Limpopo and Mariqua. 



THE GEMS-BOC (Antilope Oryx}, or KOOKAAM, of 

 the Matabili, is found chiefly in the Karroo, or in the 

 open plains of Namaqualand in Southern Africa. It is 

 a strong, bulky, and courageous species, and is armed 

 with a pair of formidable horns, which are upwards of 

 three feet in length, almost straight, divergent, annu- 

 lated below, horizontally disposed, and tapering to a 

 point ; between them a black stripe passes down the 

 forehead, which is crossed by a similar band above the 

 muzzle. The ears are white, with black margins. The 

 fur has a rusty iron-grey colour generally ; it supports 

 a mane, the hairs of which are reversed in direction ; 

 the under parts of the belly and thorax, as well as the 

 legs, being white. The tail is bushy, black, and three 

 feet long. The females have two mammse, whilst their 

 horns are even longer than those of the buck. 



THE BLAUW-BOC (Antilope leucophcea). Not a 

 little confusion has arisen in regard to this species, the 

 name here given having been applied to the little slate- 

 coloured antelope. The Blauw-boc is, with its varieties, 

 also known as the Bastard Gems-boc, Roan Antelope, 

 EtaJc of the Matabili, and Takhaitze ; the latter con- 

 stituting a well-marked variety, known by its increased 



