ORDER RUMINANTIA. 181 



original drawings (for there are several), and considering 

 the acknowledged fidelity of the figures designed by the 

 late Mr. Daniell, the most natural inference seems to be 

 that it is a new species, distinguished by a flowing mane of 

 a dark colour; a dark beard under the chin, and having 

 horns less vertically placed on the head, less curved, 

 marked with fewer annuli, and, as it would seem, almost 

 united at base. It is further distinguished by wanting the 

 tuft of hair at the end of the tail, and by a white streak 

 which passes down the face : the colour of the hair is 

 bluish on the back, passing to rufous on the belly and 

 limbs, and as before observed, in one of the original draw- 

 ings, rufous all over the body. 



These characters would seem to suit the Fish-tall or 

 Lerwea of Shaw, but, we believe, that these names are ne- 

 vertheless more applicable to the mountain Argali, Ovis 

 Tragelaphus of Geoffroy, as we shall endeavour to shew in 

 the sequel. Although Mr. Burchell did not find the Tak- 

 haitze in the quarter where it is reported to reside, it may 

 be observed that the absence of certain animals from dis- 

 tricts in which they had previously resided, is not unpre- 

 cedented, particularly in South Africa, where the variations 

 of the wet and dry seasons, cause migrations in several 

 species of ruminants, and along with them of certain Car- 

 nivora who prey upon them. With the excess of one or the 

 other of these seasons, they not uncommonly make their 

 appearance in parts of the country where they were pre- 

 viously unknown, and in like manner withdraw for several 

 successive years, or altogether, from others where they 

 used to abound. It might be the Takhaitze which was 

 already noticed at the Cape, under the name of Baas, or 

 Bearded Ox, many years before the travels of Dr. Somer- 

 ville and Mr. Daniell ; it was reported to have shorter horns, 

 with a beard under the chin and on the breast, and to be 

 of a gray colour ; larger than an ox, and residing to the 



