346 CLASS MAMMALIA. 



Greek it is applicable to the young bull and the adult cow, 

 and in several languages of Europe and Asia, the first, or 

 leading syllable constitutes a part of the name of several 

 other ruminants, and therefore in zoological phraseology it 

 may be adopted for a genus. As the proposed sub-genera 

 which are included in it stand, they may be regarded as 

 osculating on the one side with the Aigoceri in the genus 

 Antilope, and on the other with the Bisontes in that of Bos. 

 The animals of this genus, which reside in South Africa, 

 are subject to a destructive epidemic, known among the 

 Colonists by the name of Brant Siekte, or burning disease, 

 which commences by a cutaneous eruption about the close 

 of the rainy season ; the hair falls off, the skin is covered 

 with scurf, the joints stiffen, the beast languishes, con- 

 sumes, and dies. All the Antelopes are subject to it, but 

 the species placed in this genus Oreas, Caama, Strepsiceros, 

 and in the next Gnoo, are the chief sufferers, and some- 

 times infect domestic cattle. 



The Acronotine Group. 



Professor Lichtenstein first formed a group analagous 

 to this, under the name of Bubalides, which included 

 some species we refer to Nemorhaedus ; M. De Blainville 

 afterwards formed his sub-genus Alcelaphus, clearly circum- 

 scribed, and to which no other objection can be made than 

 that the compounds of the name refer both to the genus 

 Cervus, and therefore denote ruminants with deciduous 

 horns. We characterize our sub-genus Acronotus, by 

 horns with double flexure, more or less bent, seated on 

 the summit of the frontal crest, approximated, annulated 

 at base, smooth at the points, which are turned backwards 

 or inwards. They are common to both sexes ; the head 

 long ; front narrow ; muzzle almost none, or half ; small 

 lachrymary opening ; no tufts on the knees ; inguinal pores ; 

 the first vertebrae of the back much elevated ; the croup 



