VERTEBRATA. 



egl possible varietj ; aometimes they are bent forward, sometimes backward; sometimes tbey are 

 straight, Bometimes spiral, and sometimes lyre-shaped. Tiie females have two to four mammae, and 

 go from five to eighl months, producing one, and sometimes, though rarely, two at a birth. 



In g< neral, the antilopes are covered with short, smooth hair of uniform length; some, how- 

 have manes "t' bristly hair <>n the neck and shoulders; the ears arc commonly long, narrow, 

 and pointed forward ; tin' tail is short, round, and tufted at the extremity. They are mostly 

 rations, and unite in large herds, either permanently or at particular seasons of the year, but 

 only for the purpose of migrating in search of more abundant and grateful pasturage; some 

 Bpecies, however, Ii\'' in pairs or small families, consisting of an old male and one or more females, 

 with the young of the two foregoing seasons. Most of them arc among the fleetest of animals, 

 outstripping even the horse in their flight. They are extremely cautious in guarding against 

 surprise, placing sentinels in various directions about their feeding-grounds to warn them 

 of the approaeh of danger while grazing or reposing; and their vision and sense of smell are so 

 acute, that it i- only by using the greatest caution and eircumspection that the hunter can bring 

 them within range of the gun. The names by which they are distinguished in all langua 

 ancienl as well as modem, have a direct reference to this quickness of sight, and to the brilliancy 

 of tii'' large black eyes which form so conspicuous a feature in them. Thus the word Dorcas, the 

 k and Roman name of the Gazelle, or common Barbary Antilope, is derived from the verb 

 ••t" The word Antilope, which zoologists have adopted as the generic name of the group, 



Literally signifies " bright eyes." Among the Greeks and Romans, Dorcas, Dorcalis, and Damalis, 

 all names of different antilopes, were common names of women, bestowed, without doubt, on 

 account of the remarkable beauty of their eyes. Travelers in the East inform us that Aine el 

 i < /. •' You //"re the eyes of an antilope" is the greatest compliment which at the present day 

 an Oriental admirer can pay to his mistress. 



Africa, as we have already intimated, may be considered the head-quarters of the antilope tribe. 

 The habitat of these animals, however, differs according to the particular species. Some frequent 

 dry, sandy deserts, and feed upon the stunted acacias and bulbous plants which spring up even 

 in the most arid situations; some prefer the open, stony plains, as the steppes of Central Asia and 

 karroos of Southern Africa, where the grass, though parched, is still sufficient for their sub- 

 nce ; some, again, inhabit the steep, rocky mountains, and leap from cliff" to cliff with the ease 

 and security of the ibex, while others are found only in the thick and almost impenetrable forests 

 of tropical countries. 



The antilopes have been variously classified. Dr. Gray arranges them into two divisions: 

 Antilopes of (he Fields and Antilopes of the Desert. These divisions are founded upon peculi- 

 arities of the nostrils, easily recognized. In the Antilopes of the Fields the nostrils are bald or 

 free from hairs, while in the Antilopes of the Desert these organs are bearded within or covered 

 with bristles. There are other distinctions, but these are the most obvious and most readily ap- 

 preciated. 



The first of these classes, Antilopes of the Fields, embraces the True Antilopes, as the Ga- 

 ::<//'.% the Pallah, Stein-loc, Kleene-boc, Riet-boc, Sing-sing, Blauw-boc, Gems-hoc, Ori/.r, Addax, 

 Chamois, Prong-horn, dr. ; the second class, Antilopes of the Desert, embraces the Gim. Eland, 

 . Koodoo, Nil-Ghau, &c, <kc. 



^ e deem it best, however, to follow the system we have hitherto pursued, and to present these 

 animals in g< aera and species, believing that form to afford a clearer and more discriminating 

 new than <an be obtained in any other manner. 



Genus ALCELAPHUS : Alcelaphus. — These animals have thick, heavy horns, of a double 

 curve, and somewhat \\ re-shaped. There are two species. The BubaluS, or Bekker-el-AY ahi. 

 .1. bubalis, is of a reddish fawn-color, with black horns, shaped like the tines of a fork. In its 

 combats, it lowers the head like a hull. It is a powerful brute, but some of them have proved^ 

 to he docil,., and the young have been known to join the herds of domestic cattle and remain 

 with them till their maturity. It is found living in herds in Northern Africa from Morocco to 

 Egypt 



The ( aama, Lzoama, or 1 1 arte-Beest, A. caama, resembles the preceding, and has been con-' 



