THE HORNED ANIMALS— OX-ANTELOPES. 



495 



and steadily along, extending from an opening in a 

 long range of hills on the west, through which they 

 continued pouring like the flood of some great river, 

 to a ridge about a mile to the east, over which they 

 disappeared. I stood upon the fore-chest of my 

 wagon for nearly two hours, lost in wonder at the 

 novel and beautiful scene. Immense and astonish- 

 ing as was the herd of Springboks which I saw that 

 morning, it was far surpassed by the one I saw the 

 same night; for when we had crossed the range of 

 hills, through the opening of which the Springboks 

 had poured, I saw the plain and even the slopes of 

 the hills which extended all around, covered not 

 with herds, but with one continuous mass of Spring- 

 boks. As far as eye could see, the country swarmed 



queer, perpendicular leaps, bounding into the air 

 with folded legs, the long, snow white hair upon the 

 back waving in the air and giving the animal a truly 

 fairy-like appearance, which distinguishes this An- 

 telope from all others. They sometimes leap higher 

 than six feet, and clear from thirteen to sixteen feet 

 at a bound, apparently without the slightest exertion. 

 Before leaping, they bend their heads towards the 

 fore-legs', then bound up, using all four feet, rise to 

 the given height, their backs strongly curved and the 

 fold of skin expanded like a fan. For one moment 

 they literally seem to soar, then they come down on 

 all four feet at once and again go up in the air. 



Springboks soon become tame when taken young. 

 Those which I saw were shy and cautious towards 



THE HARTEBEEST. This species of Antelope, existing in large numbers in central and southern Africa, is of somewhat ungainly form, 



because of the larger development of the fore quarters as compared with the hinder ones. The most striKing peculiarity of the animal is its peculiarly 

 shaped horns, which are well illustrated in this picture. (Bubalis caama.) 



with them, until they merged into an indistinct con- 

 fusion of living creatures." Le Vaillant also speaks 

 about herds numbering from ten to fifty thousand, 

 pursued by Lions, Leopards and Hyaenas, and E. 

 Kretschmar tells of masses, which he estimated to 

 contain millions. The density of such a moving 

 herd is sometimes simply wonderful. Harris tells 

 us that a herd of Sheep, which once happened to 

 mingle with the wandering Springboks, were com- 

 pelled to go along with them; even the powerful 

 Lion, which diligently pursues these Antelopes, is 

 said to be sometimes taken prisoner and compelled 

 to move in their midst. 

 The Springbok's The Springbok is well entitled to 

 Traits and Moue- the name which the Dutch settlers 

 ments. bestowed on it — namely, the Jump- 



ing Buck. When fleeing, it executes a series of 



strangers, but full of sport when in the presence of 

 friends. If several are kept in the same enclosure, 

 they do not always agree; the bucks especially are 

 quarrelsome fellows that torment or at least mildly 

 tease even their female mates. With the exception 

 of this quarrelsome disposition, captive Springboks 

 are charming animals. Their soft, magnificently 

 colored fur, their elegant form and graceful move- 

 ments fascinate everybody, even in the small space 

 of an enclosure where they can not be justly appre- 

 ciated. Unfortunately few living specimens arrive 

 in foreign countries. 



THE OX-ANTELOPES. 



We will let the Gazelles be followed by the Ox- 

 Antelopes {Bubalis), as they, in a certain sense, are 

 transitional forms between the true Antelopes and 



