Antilopid-s.- 



-JIAMMALIA.- 



-Antilopid^. 



171 



size, lai-ge beard, and fine flowing mane. It is also dis- 

 tinguished for its fierceness. Tlie Etak, properly so 

 called, stands about five feet higli at the shoulder, and 

 is furnished with scimitar-shaped horns two feet in 

 length; they are strongly curved backwards, and marked 

 with about thirty conspicuous aimulations. The face 

 is black, with white streaks in front and behind the 

 eyes ; the muzzle and under parts being also white. 

 The cars are pointed, and fourteen mehes long. The 

 fur exhibits a roan or reddish-white colour generally. 

 The females are hornless. 



THE LECHEE {Ant Hope Lechee) is a large animal, 

 inhabiting South Africa, on tlie banks of the river 

 Louga. In its habits and character, it very closely 

 resembles the Water-boc. The horns are elongated, 

 annulated, and curve forwards at the tip. The fur 

 has a light brown colour generally, the Umbs being 

 much darker. In the male the mane is slightly de- 

 veloped ; the tail being tufted and black at the 

 extremity. Both Dr. Livingstone and Mr. Andersson 

 have given interesting particulars of this species. The 

 former says, " It is never found a mile from water ; 

 islets in marshes and rivers are its favourite hatmts, 

 and it is quite unknown except in the central humid 

 basin of Africa. Having a good deal of curiosity, it 

 presents a noble appearance as it stands gazuig with 

 head erect at the approaching stranger. Wlien it 

 resolves to decamp it lowers its head, and lays its horns 

 down to a level with the \\'ithers ; it then begins wth 

 a waddling trot, which ends in its galloijing and spring- 

 ing over bushes like the pallahs. It mvariably runs 

 to the water, and crosses it by a succession of boimds, 

 each of wliich appears to be from the bottom." Mr. 

 Andersson informs us tliat " great mmibers are aninially 

 destroyed by the Bayeye, who convert their hides into 

 a kind of rug for sleeping on, caresses, and other articles 

 of wearing apparel." 



THE NAKONG {Ant Hope Anderssonii). — Believing 

 this antelope to be new to science, we do not hesitate 

 to recognize it under the above specific title. Dr. Gray 

 thinks it may be referred to Ogilby's broad-homed 

 antelope, but the characters, in so far as they are given 

 by Mr. Andersson, lead us to a dilferent conclusion. 

 The fur displays a subdued brown colour, which is 

 darker on the back and on the fore-part of the head 

 and legs ; having an ashy tint underneath the belly. 

 The hair is long, and coarse in texture. The horns 

 are black, closely resembling those of the koodoo. Its 

 habits are similar to those of the last-described species. 

 " By means of its peculiarly long hoofs, which are 

 black — not unfrequently attaining a length of six to 

 seven inches — it is able to traverse with fiicility the 

 reedy bogs and quagmires -svith which tlie lake coimtry 

 abounds." Mr. Andersson adds that the natives fre- 

 quently, at particular seasons, capture the Nakong by 

 means of pitfalls. 



THE LETJCORYX {Antilope ieMcoryx), White Ante- 

 lope, or OitYX— Plate 20, fig. 60 — is a native of 

 Eastern Africa. The fur has a milky-white colour 

 generally, the throat and neck beuig rufous-brown ; 

 dark bands also occur on the forehead and cheeks, two 

 of them passing vertically downiwards from the inner 

 corner of the eye. The mane is short and reversed ; 



the tail being leng'thy and tufted at the tip. The horns 

 are very attenuated, annulated at the lower half, and 

 slope obliquely backwards with a very slight cmwature. 

 The Leucoryx is gregarious in its habits, and feeds 

 freely on acacia shrubs. 



THE ADDAX {AntilnjK Addax) is a native of 

 Northern and Central Africa, and is a bulky, thick set 

 animal, standing upwards of three feet at the shoulder. 

 The horns are long, narrow, spirally twisted, ringed to 

 within five inches of the tips, sharp at the points, and 

 measuring about thirty sLx mches from base to apex. 

 The forehead is clothed with a patch of black cmdy 

 hair ; the mane is well developed, the fur having a 

 greyish-white tint generally; but the head and neck are 

 rufous-brown. The Addax has monogamous habits. 



THE CHOUSINGHA {Antilope qucidi-icornis) or 

 FouR-IIOHNED Antelope, is an hiliabitant of the 

 northern and well-wooded districts of India, bemg 

 found especially in the districts ot Bahar and Orissa. 

 It is a comparatively small species, standing about 

 twenty inches at the shoulders. The horns are smooth, 

 black, conical, and sharply pointed ; the posterior pair 

 being three inches in length, while the anterior are 

 scarcely a third of that measurement. The fm- has 

 a reddish colour generally, being whitish underneath. 

 The females are hornless, and of a paler hue ; they 

 usually produce two young at a birth. The Chou- 

 singha is excessively wild; it is also monogamous. 



THE CAMBING-OUTAN {Antilope Sumatrcnsis) is an 

 inhabitant of the hilly forests of Sumatra, and in its 

 habits approaches the goats and chamois. The horns 

 are about six inches in length, slightly curved back- 

 wards, broad below, and sharp at the apex. The body 

 is stoutisli, and clothed with a long deep brown- 

 coloured fur, approaching to black, except on the back 

 of the head, neck, and shoulders, and inside of the 

 ears, where it is quite white ; the mane being well 

 developed and tlie tail moderately long. The liabits 

 of the Canibing-outan are \vild and restless. 



THE CHAMOIS {Antilope Jiiijncajn'a) is an inhabi- 

 tant of the alpine slopes of Western Europe, and, like 

 the preceding species, is closely allied to the iegoscervine 

 family. It is clothed mth a deep-brown woolly fur, 

 the head being of a paler colour, and banded on either 

 .side by a dark streak, which passes from the angle of 

 tlie moutli to the eye and base of the ear, enveloping 

 both. The horns are fi'om six to eight inches long, 

 running nearly parallel to each other, and curWiig 

 backwards at the tip. The tail is short and black. 

 The habits of the Chamois are wild and impetuous, 

 like the torrents which it overstrides in rapid flight. 

 It feeds on j'oung shnibs and various alpine herbs. 



THE PEONG-HORN {Antilope furcifer) or Cabrit, 

 is an interesting species, as it presents a sort of tran- 

 sitional form between the antilopine and cervine genera ; 

 and it is for this reason that we have reserved its con- 

 sideration untU compelled to draw our descriptions of 

 the members of the present family to a close. The 

 Prong-horn is a native of the western borders of North 

 America generaUy, being more particularly abundant 

 on the borders of the Saskatchewan and Columbia 

 rivers. It is a stoutisli animal, upwards of diree feet 

 high at the shoulder, and at once recognized by its 



