138 NATURAL HISTORY. 



perishes by the shock, but the lion also perishes with it. 

 Their skeletons have been seen lying together bleached on the 

 plain. 



" The oryx, or gemsbok, to which I was now about to direct 

 my attention more particularly, is about the most beautiful 

 and remarkable of all the antelope tribe. It is the animal 

 which is supposed to have given rise to the fable of the 

 unicorn, from its long straight horns, when seen in profile, so 

 exactly covering one another as to give it the appearance of 

 having but one. It possesses the erect mane, long sweeping 

 black tail, and general appearance of the horse, with the head 

 and hoofs of an antelope. It is robust in its form, squarely 

 and compactly built, and very noble in its bearing. Its 

 height is about that of an ass, and in colour it slightly 

 resembles that animal. The beautiful black bands which 

 eccentrically adorn its head, giving it the appearance of wear- 

 ing a stall collar, together with the manner in which the rump 

 and thighs are painted, impart to it a character peculiar to it- 

 self. The adult male measures 3 feet 10 inches in height at the 

 shoulder."^ 



THE SPRINGBOK. 



Again an extract from Gumming must supply the place of 

 description. During his early travels in South Africa, the first 

 object that met his eyes on waking one morning, was a herd 

 of SPRINGBOKS, which he thus describes :f 



" On the 28th I had the satisfaction of beholding, for the 

 first time, what I had often heard the Boers allude to, viz. a 

 ' trek-bokken,' or grand migration of springboks. This was, 

 I think, the most extraordinary and striking scene, as connected 

 with beasts of the chase, that I have ever beheld. For about 

 two hours before the day dawned I had been lying awake in 

 my waggon, listening to the grunting of the bucks within 

 two hundred yards of me, imagining that some large herd of 

 springboks was feeding beside my camp ; but on my rising 

 when it was clear, and looking about me, I beheld the ground 



* Cumming's Adventures. t Ibid. 



