120 ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS. 
most-of the species is nearly straight, and commonly 
terminates in a moist naked muzzle. The latter is, 
however, frequently wanting, the extremity of the nose 
being covered with hair. Beneath the inner angle of 
the eyes many of them are furnished with a fissure of 
greater or less extent, which expands into a cavity called 
the suborbital sinus, and secretes a peculiar fluid, the 
purposes of which are not yet thoroughly understood. 
Their ears are rather large, upright, pointed, open, and 
moveable ; their eyes brilliant, full, and prominent ; and 
their tongues soft and smooth. Their hair is generally 
short, close, and regular; and they have very rarely a 
dependent beard beneath the chin. A large proportion 
of the species have broad tufts of long diverging hairs 
upon the knees. Their hoofs are usually longer, slen- 
derer, and more acute than those of the Deer. They 
are chiefly natives of Africa and Southern Asia, but 
more especially of the former continent. Only one 
species, the Chamois of the Alps, is found in Western 
Europe; and no more than two or three, the habits 
and characters of which are still very imperfectly known, 
have hitherto been discovered in America. In manners 
they are gentle and peaceable, but at the same time 
wild and timid and easily scared. They live, like all 
the other Ruminants, solely upon vegetable food; and 
generally congregate together in little herds or families. 
Most of them are exceedingly fleet, and outstrip even 
the Stag in the velocity of their flight. 
The name of Antelope, appropriated by all the early 
English writers, and afterwards by Buffon, to the beau- 
tiful species figured at the head of the present article, 
but generically extended by Pallas to the entire group 
of which it forms part, is generally believed to be of 
fabulous origin. Although apparently of Greek forma- 
tion, Bochart suspects it to have been derived from the 
