MAMMALIA—GNU. 363 
the menagerie of the Prince of Orange, at the Hague. Nature, though 
regular and systematic in all her works, often puzzles and perplexes human 
systems, of which this animal affords an instance. In the shape of its body 
it evidently partakes of the horse, the ox, the stag, and the antelope. 
“Its head is about eighteen inches long, the upper part completely guard- 
ed by the rugged roots of the horns, that spread across the forehead, leaving 
only a narrow channel between them, that wears out with age, as in the 
instance of the buffalo; the horns project forward twelve inches, then turn 
in a short curve, backwards, ten inches: the space from the root to the 
point is only nine inches. Down the middle of the face grows a sort of 
black hair four inches in length; and from the under lip to the throat 
another ridge somewhat longer. The orbit of the eye is round, and sur- 
rounded by long white hairs, that, like so many radii, diverge and forma 
kind of star; this radiated eye gives to the animal a fierce and uncommon 
look. The same sort of vibrisse is thinly dispersed over the lips. The 
neck is little more than a foot long; on the upper part is a mane extending 
beyond the shoulders, erect, and five inches in length; the hair like bristles, 
black in the middle, and white on each side. This mane appears as if it 
had been cut and trimmed with nice attention. A ridge of black hair, from 
six inches to a foot in length, extends from the fore part of the chest, under 
the fore legs, to the beginning of the abdomen. The body is about three 
feet two inches long. The joints of the hip bones project high, and form 
on the haunches a pair of hemispheres. The tail is two feet long, flat near 
the root, where the hair grows only at the sides; this is white, bristly, and 
bushy. The entire length, from the point of the nose to the end of the tail, 
is seven feet ten inches; and the height three feet six inches. The color is 
that of a mouse, with a few ferruginous straggling hairs on the sides. Like 
the mare, it has only two teats; and all its motions and habits are equine. 
Though a small animal, it appears of considerable size when prancing over 
the plains. The gnu might be considered as an emblem of unkounded 
freedom, with the means of suprorting it. It possesses, m an eminent 
degree, strength, swiftness, weapons of defence, acute scent, and a quick 
sight. When they happen to be disturbed, the whole herd begin to draw 
together, and to butt each other with their horns, to bound, and play their 
various gambols, after which they gallop off toa distance. Their motions 
are extremely free, varied, and always elegant. Fierce and vicious as this 
animal certainly is in its wild state, yet it probably might not be very 
difficult of domestication. No successful attempts, however, have yet been 
made to tame it. The flesh is so like that of an ox, both in appearance and 
taste, that it is not to be distinguished from it.” 
There is another variety of the gnu, a male and female of which were 
exhibited at Cross’s menagerie, in Pall-Mall East; and in their appear- 
ance, partook rather more of the antelope tribe than the preceding. Mr 
Pringle, wno had seen this variety in its native regions, observes, “that 
