ORDER RUMINANTIA. 203 



side, separated by striated intervals; their length is from 

 twelve to fifteen inches, and their circumference at base 

 seven inches; about two inches of the point are smooth. 

 They are seated on a fiery rufous patch of hair, larger in 

 some, and in others, divided by a white streak which 

 passes down the whole length of the face; the ears are 

 long, reddish outside, and white within ; the sides of the 

 head, neck, throat, shoulders, upper arm, flanks, croup, 

 and thighs to near the joint, are of a deep brownish-purple, 

 or sanguine colour ; but it is remarkable in this species, that 

 the back and upper part of the shoulders appear as if a 

 heavy bluish-white was glazed over the purple under tone, 

 forming a broad space in the shape of a saddle : this mark 

 is separated by the deep-purple on the flanks, from the 

 pure white which extends over the belly ; the anterior and 

 internal side of the thighs, the inside of the arms, the 

 breast, legs, buttocks, and tail, are likewise white, a short 

 dark-coloured tuft at the end of the last-mentioned only ex- 

 cepted ; the legs are clean and firm, with small hoofs ex- 

 ceedingly black. The largest specimen we have seen, mea- 

 sured three feet eight inches at the shoulder, and was full 

 six feet long : the distinctive characters of the female are 

 doubtful. Among nine specimens, the horns and colours, 

 independently of those whose sexual characters could be 

 distinguished, were all nearly alike, and appeared to be of 

 males, though it is possible that among the mutilated, 

 some were females : yet according to Shaw, the horns of 

 the females are nearly smooth. 



This animal does not seem to be known in Central Africa. 

 It is found in the regions bordering upon the colony of the 

 Cape of Good Hope, and within the frontier about Swel- 

 lindoun and Breederivier ; among the Dutch colonists it is 

 distinguished by the name of Blessbock, descriptive of the 

 white mark on the face; and the Booshwaanas name it 



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