364 MAMMALIA—CHAMOIS. 
the gnu forms a graceful link between the buffalo and the ar telope; pos- 
sessing the distinct features which, according to naturalists, are peculiar to 
the latter tribe. The gnu exhibits at the same time, in his general aspect, 
figure, motions, and even the texture and taste of his flesh, qualities which 
partake very strongly of the bovine character. Among other peculiarities, I 
observed, that, like the buffalo or the ox, he is strangely affected by the 
sight of scarlet; and it was one of our amusements, when approaching 
these animals, to hoist a red handkerchief on a pole and to observe them 
caper about, lashing their flanks with their long tails, and tearing up the 
groun’ with their hoofs, as if they were violently excited, and ready to rush 
down upon us; and then, all at once, when we were about to fire upon 
them, to see them bound away, and again go prancing round at a safer 
distance. When wounded, they are reported to be sometimes rather dan- 
gerous to the huntsman; but though we shot several at different times, I 
never witnessed any instance of this. On one occasion, a young one, appa- 
rently only a week or two old, whose mother had been shot, followed the 
huntsmen home, and I attempted to rear it on cow’s milk. Ina few days 
it appeared quite as tame as a common caif, and seemed to be thriving ; but 
afterwards, from some unknown cause, it sickened and died. I heard, how- 
ever, of more than one instance in that part of the colony, where the gnu, 
thus caught young, had been reared with domestic cattle, and had become 
so tame as to go regularly out to pasture with the herds, without exhibiting 
any inclinaticn to resume its natural freedom; but, in consequence of a 
tendency which the farmers say they evinced to catch, and to communicate 
to the cattle a dangerous infection, the practice of rearing them as curiosi- 
ties has been abandoned.” 
THE CHAMOIS! 

Is of a fawn color in summer and brown in winter; a dark line passes 
through each eye. Its horns are seven or eight inches long, and hooked at 


1 Antilope ruficapra. 
