THE GNU. 489 



shoulders -, a ridge of black hair, from six inches to a foot in 

 length, extends from the front of the chest, under the fore -legs, 

 to the beginning of the belly 5 a row of black bristly hairs, 

 four inches in length, grows down the middle of the face -, and 

 another row of hair, somewhat longer, extends from the under 

 lip to the throat ; the forehead is well protected by the rugged 

 roots of the horns that spread across it, leaving only a narrow 

 channel between them j the horns project forwards twelve inches, 

 and then turn in a short curve backwards ten inches j the eyes 

 are surrounded by long white hairs, that radiate and form a 

 kind of star j and under the eye is a sinus, or slit. The tail is 

 two feet long, white, bristly, and bushy. The female has only 

 two teats, and is also furnished with horns. 



Barrow observes, that " the gnu possesses in an eminent 

 degree strength, swiftness, weapons of defence, acute scent, and 

 quick sight. When a herd of gnus are disturbed, they collect 

 together, butt each other with their horns, bound and perform 

 their various gambols, and then gallop off to a distance. Their 

 motions are extremely free, varied, and always elegant." Pringle, 

 who very frequently studied the habits of the gnu, both singly 

 and in small herds, on the mountains adjoining the Scottish 

 settlement at Bavian's River, observed among other pecu- 



