THE GNV. 269 



Description, &c. 



the base, and then almost suddenly reverting up- 

 wards. Its colour was a dull brown, with a beard 

 on the chin and throat, and some long black hair 

 hanging from the breast. It had a stiff erect 

 mane along the neck, extending to some distance 

 over the shoulders, of a pale ash colour: it had a 

 very large head, a square mouth, and the lips 

 covered with a quantity of short and stiff bristles, 

 and from the nose upward, ran a kind of square 

 brush of those bristles reversed: the eyes were 

 encircled with strong white bristles : the tail re- 

 sembled that of a horse, and was thickly clothed 

 with strong white hair: the body was thick and 

 clumsy, but the limbs were light, and elegantly 

 formed : each foot was marked with a black 

 stripe above the hoof, and it had only one false 

 hoof behind each foot, whereas other animals, 

 having similarly formed feet, have always two. 



The horns of the female are like those of the 

 male, except when young, and then they are 

 perfectly straight. 



Mr. Pennant says, this animal, in a wild 

 state, is exceedingly fierce and dangerous to tra- 

 vellers. 



The gnu is a native of the southern parts of 

 Africa; where they may be seen feeding in very 

 large herds. The natives catch them for the 

 hides and flesh, the last of which is said to be 

 equal in flavour to the finest venison, 



In order to procure these animals, a variety of 

 methods are adopted by the Hottentots, who 



