202 CLASS MAMMALIA. 



times shoot them by watching their approach to the springs, 

 or hunt them by contriving to get suddenly among a herd, 

 and throwing a heavy stick horizontally at the nearest, and 

 generally breaking the legs of one or more. The nobles in 

 Persia, and the wealthy Turks and Moors pursue them 

 with the Hawk, or slip the Cheetah or Seer-ghoosh * to 

 surprise them ; but in all these cases, even when the Hawk 

 is flown, it is necessary to circumvent the quarry, unless the 

 herd is so large as to exceed the bounds of alarm, or it 

 would be labour in vain to reach them. Although they feed 

 most about dawn and twilight, wandering travellers some- 

 times come suddenly in the night upon a herd, and it is ob- 

 served, that if no dogs be present, they will scarcely rise and 

 go further than a short distance to lie down again ; but if 

 unusual noise disturbs them, the whole trot off and evince 

 symptoms of anxiety till the return of day-light. During 

 the ill-fated expedition to trace the course of the Zezeere 

 or Congo, the devoted travellers saw many herds of Ante- 

 lopes of various and new species, chiefly belonging to this 

 group, some of which were obtained, but only a few trifles 

 and short notes reached England t. 



The White-faced Antelope. (A. Pygarga.) This spe- 

 cies is the largest of the group, retaining somewhat of 

 the Aigocerine aspect, but marked by a most singular 

 intermixture of colours. In height at the shoulder, it 

 is superior to the Stag of Europe ; the horns placed sub- 

 vertically on the frontals, a little above the eyes, are bent, 

 first convexly or to the front, then slightly concave, the 

 points being turned upwards ; they are black, extremely 

 strong, with ten or twelve semi-annuli on their anterior 



* Cheetah Felis Venatica, Seehar or Seer-ghoosh, (head or 

 chief thief,) the Syagush or Persian Lynx ; it also signifies long ears. 



f Dr. Smith's notes were sent to his relations at Christiania, and 

 those of Mr. Cranch are unfortunately in a particular short hand, 

 hitherto undeciphered. 



