THE WHITE-FOOTED ANTELOPES. 295 



riochetse (Catollepus Gnu), which inhabits the wild karoos and hilly 

 districts of South Africa, in migratory herds, and is distinguished by 

 the weird ugliness of his head, with its curved horns, and its beauti- 

 ful flowing mane, white at the base, and black at the tips ; the Oreas 

 Lanna, improperly called the " Cape Eland" (Antilope Oreas}, a 

 graceful animal, as large as the horse, and five feet high at the 

 shoulder, with straight pointed horns, whose great strength is aug- 

 mented by a spiral wreath ; and the Oryx (Oryx gazella), Egyptian 

 Antelope, or Pasom, somewhat superior in size to a deer, with horns 

 three feet long, black hoofs and horns, a white head, and neck and 

 upper part of the body of a pale bluish-gray. 



Tropical Asia presents but a very small number of Antelopes, 

 properly so called, of which the Nylghau or White-footed Antelope 

 (Partux pictd) is the largest. Its face is long and narrow; its black, 

 round, and pointed horns, though only about seven inches long, are 

 slightly curved forwards; the broad ears are fringed with white hairs; 

 along the top of the deep narrow neck runs a slight mane of black 

 hair, which is continued to some distance down the back; a long 

 hanging tuft of a similar colour adorns the breast. This animal is 

 said to have abounded in the forests between Delhi and Lahore in the 

 days of Aurungzebe, and formed one of the objects of the chase with 

 that "king of kings" during his expedition to Cashmere. The Hin- 

 doo name, " Nyl-ghau," signifies " blue ox," which is true of the male, 

 but the female is a pale brown. He is a courageous animal, very 

 difficult to tame; travellers affirm that when attacked he throws 

 himself on his knees, and in this position moves forward, until, sud- 

 denly leaping to his feet, he rushes impetuously upon his enemy, and 

 smites him vigorously with his sharp horns. 



I must not omit to particularize, among the great Ruminants of 

 the Tropical regions of the Old World, the Buffaloes, or Wild Oxen, 

 which feed in immense troops in the fertile and well-watered prairies. 

 The two African species or varieties which are best known are, the 

 Buffalo of Caffraria, and the Short-horned Buffalo. The former is not 

 confined to the Caffre country, as bis name would lead one to suppose; 



