ANTELOPE. 



fefcund over a wall twelve feet high. In 

 Guinea they are called Guevei. The fe- 

 male has no horns. 



The Springer Antelope,is an elegant 

 species, weighs about fifty pounds, and is 

 rather less than a roe-buck ; inhabits the 

 Cape of Good Hope; called there the 

 Springbock, from the prodigious leaps it 

 takes on the sight of any body. When 

 alarmed, it has the power of expanding 

 the white space about the tail into the 

 form of a circle, which returns to its li- 

 near form when the animal is tranquil. 

 They migrate annually from the interior 

 parts in small herds, and continue in the 

 neighbourhood of the Cape for two or 

 three months ; then join companies and 

 go off in troops, consisting of many thou- 

 sands, covering the great plains for seve- 

 ral hours in their passage : are attended 

 in their migrations by numbers of lions, 

 hyaenas and other wild beasts, which make 

 great destruction among them : are excel- 

 lent eating, and with other antelopes, are 

 the venison of the Cape. Mr. Masson in- 

 forms us, that they also make periodical 

 migrations, in seven or eight years, in 

 herds of many hundred thousands, from 

 the north, as he supposes from the interi- 

 or parts of Terra de Natal. They are com- 

 pelled to it by the excessive drought 

 which happens in that region, when 

 sometimes there does not fall a drop of 

 rain for two or three years. These animals, 

 in their course, desolate Caffraria, spread- 

 ing over the whole country, and not leav- 

 ing a blade of grass. Lions attend them : 

 where one of these beasts of prey are, the 

 place is known by the vast void visible in 

 the midst of the timorous herd. On its ap- 

 proach to the Cape, it is observed that the 

 avant guard is very fat, the centre less so, 

 and the rear guard almost starved, being 

 reduced to live on the roots of the plants 

 devoured by those which went before ; 

 but on their return they become the avant 

 guard, and thrive in their turn on the re- 

 newed vegetation ; while the former, now 

 changed into the rear guard, are famish- 

 ed, by being compelled to take up with 

 the leavings of the others. These animals 

 are quite fearless, when assembled in such 

 mighty armies, nor can a man pass 

 through, unless he compels them to give 

 way with a whip or stick. When taken 

 young they are easily domesticated ; the 

 males are very wanton, and are apt to butt 

 at strangers with their horns. The expan- 

 sile white part on the end of the back of 

 this animal is a highly singular circum- 

 stance. It is formed by a duplicature of 

 the skin in that part, the inside and edges 

 being milk-white ; when the uniinul is ai 



rest, the edges alone appear, resembling 

 a white stripe, but when alarmed, or in 

 motion, the cavity, or white intermediate 

 space, appears in form of a large oval 

 patch of that colour. 



The Scythian Antelope, or Saiga, 

 which is the only one of the species that 

 is to be found in Europe. The form of 

 its body resembles the domestic goat, but 

 its horns are those of an antelope, be- 

 ing marked by very prominent rings, 

 with furrows between ; they are a foot 

 long, the ends smooth, of a pale yellow 

 colour, almost transparent. The male is 

 covered with rough hair, like the he-goat, 

 and has a strong scent ; the female is 

 smoother, hornless, and timid. The gene- 

 ral colour is a dirty white. \Vhen they are 

 attacked by wolves or dogs, the males 

 stand round the females, forming a circle, 

 with their heads towards the enemy, in 

 which posture they defend their charge.. 

 Their common pace is a trot ; when they 

 go faster, it is by leaps ; and are swifter 

 than roe-bucks. When they feed, they 

 are obliged to go backward, owing to the 

 length of the upper lip, which they lift 

 up. Their skin is soft, and excellent for 



f loves, belts, &c. They are found in 

 ocks from six to ten thousands, on the 

 banks of the Tanais and Boristhenes. The 

 young are easily tamed, and will readily 

 return to their master when turned out 

 on the desert. 



The Nilgau, or White-footed Antelope, 

 is a large and beautiful species, known 

 only within the space of a few years past. 

 Its height is four feet one inch to the top 

 of the shoulders, and its length, from the 

 bottom of the neck to the base of the tail, 

 four feet. The colour of the nilgau is a 

 fine dark grey, or slate colour, with a large 

 spot of white beneath the throat, and two 

 white bands or marks above each foot : 

 the ears are large, white within, and edged, 

 with the same colour, and marked inter- 

 nally by two black stripes ; along the top 

 of the neck runs a slight mane of black 

 hair, which is continued to some distance 

 down the back, and on the breast is a 

 much longer mane or hanging tuft of a 

 similar colour; the tail is moderately long, 

 and terminated by a tuft of black hair: the 

 horns are short, pointed, smooth, triangu- 

 lar at their base, distant from each other, 

 bent very slightly forwards, and of a 

 blackish colour. The female resembles 

 the male in general appearance, but is 

 considerably smaller, of a pale brown co- 

 lour, and is destitute of horns : the mane, 

 pectoral tuft, and ears, resemble those of 

 the male, and the feet are marked above 

 the hoof's bv three transverse bars of black 



