658 



THE GNOO. 



soil, and the other clean his carriages and groom his horses : in fact, they became 

 quite pets with all parties, and seemed to forget their wild haunts and mountain dwell- 

 ings, in the warmer and less terrific asylums of civilized man." 



As the hind legs exceed the fore limbs in length, the Chamois is better fitted for the 

 ascent of steep ground than for descending, and never exhibits its wonderful powers 

 with such success as when it is leaping lightly and rapidly up the face of an apparently 

 inaccessible rock, and taking advantage of every little projection to add impetus to its 

 progress. Even when standing still, it is able to mount to a higher spot without leap- 

 ing. It stands erect on its hind legs, places its fore-feet on some narrow shelf of rock, 

 and, by a sudden exertion, draws its whole body upon the ledge, where it stands secure. 



The food of the Chamois consists of the various herbs which grow upon the mount- 

 ains, and in the winter season it finds its nourishment on the buds of sundry trees, 

 mostly of an aromatic nature, such as the fir, pine, and juniper. In consequence of this 

 diet, the flesh assumes a rather powerful odor, which is decidedly repulsive to the pal- 

 ates of some persons, while others seem to appreciate the peculiar flavor, and to value 

 it as highly as the modern gourmand appreciates the " gamey " flavor of long-kept 

 venison. The skin is largely employed in the manufacture of a certain leather, which 

 is widely famous for its soft though tough character. The color of the Chamois is 

 yellowish-brown upon the greater portion of the body, the spinal line being marked 

 with a black streak. In the winter months, the fur darkens and becomes blackish- 

 brown. The face, cheeks, and throat are of a yellowish-white hue, diversified by a 

 dark brownish-black band which passes from the corner of the mouth to the eyes, when 

 it suddenly dilates and forms a nearly perfect ring round the eyes. The horns are 

 jetty black and highly polished, especially towards the tips, which are extremely sharp. 

 There are several obscure rings on the basal portions, and their entire surface is marked 

 with longitudinal lines. 



Several varieties of the Chamois are recorded, but the distinctions between them lie 

 only in the comparative length of the horns and the hue of the coat. The full-grown 

 Chamois is rather more than two feet in height, and the horns are from six to eight 

 inches long. 



The PRONG-HORNED ANTELOPE, or CABRIT, bears some resemblance to the Chamois, 

 from which animal it may be known by a peculiar structure of the horns, which throw 

 out a projecting point, or prong, just at the spot where the horns begin their backward 

 curve. It is a native of North America, where it is sometimes called the Spring-Buck, 

 to the great confusion of zoological neophytes. It is an active and vigorous animal, 

 and cannot be easily overtaken by a horse unless its footsteps are hindered by a fall 

 of snow. It is a gregarious animal, migrating at different times of the year. It in- 

 habits the vast prairies of the Far West, and is there, under the popular name of the 

 Antelope, an object of pursuit by bipedal and quadrupedal hunters. Its scientific title 

 is Antilocapra Americana. 



OF all the Antelopes, the GNOO presents the most extraordinary conformation. At 

 the first sight of this curious animal, the spectator seems to doubt whether it is a horse, 

 a bull, or an Antelope, as it appears to partake nearly equally of the nature of these 

 three animals. 



The Gnoos, of which there are several species, may be easily recognized by their 

 fierce-looking head, their peculiarly shaped horns, which are bent downwards and then 

 upwards again with a sharp curve, by their broad nose, and long hair-clad tail. They 

 live together in considerable herds, often mixing with zebras, ostriches, and giraffes, in 

 one huge army of living beings. In their habits they are not unlike the wild cattle which 

 have already been described. Suspicious, timid, curious of disposition, and irritable of 

 temper, they display these mingled qualities in a very ludicrous manner whenever they 

 are alarmed by a strange object. 



"They commence whisking their long white tails," says Cumming, "in a most 

 eccentric manner ; then, springing suddenly into the air, they begin pawing and capering, 

 and pursue each other in circles at their utmost speed. Suddenly they all pull up to- 

 gether to overhaul the intruder, when some of the bulls will often commence fighting in 



