THE ORYX. 



529 



of the eland. At certain seasons of the year they carry a great quantity of fat, at which time 

 they can more easily be ridden into. ■ 



"Owing to the even nature of the ground which the Gems-bok frequents, its shy and suspi- 

 cious disposition, and the extreme distance from water to which it must be followed, it is 

 never stalked or driven to an ambush like the Antelopes, but is hunted on horseback and 

 ridden down by a long, severe, tail-on-end chase. Of several animals in South Africa which 

 are hunted in this manner, the Gems-bok is by far the swiftest and the most enduring." 



GEMS-BOK.— Oryx gazella. 



Although the Gems-bok is nearly independent of water, it stands as much in need of 

 moisture as any other animal, and would speedily perish in the arid deserts were it not directed 

 by its instincts towards certain succulent plants which are placed in those regions, and which 

 possess the usefxil power of attracting and retaining every particle of moisture which may 

 happen to settle in their vicinity. The most common and most valuable of these plants is a 

 bulbous root, belonging to the Liliacea, called, from its peculiar property of retaining the 

 moisture, the Water-Root. Only a very small portion of the valuable plant appears above 

 the ground, and the water-bearing bulb is so encrusted with hardened soil that it must be dug 

 out with a knife. Several other succulent plants also possess similar qualities, among which 

 may be noticed a kind of little melon which is spread over the whole of the great Kalahari 

 desert. 



Resembling the gems-bok in many particulars, the Oryx can be easily distinguished from 

 its predecessor by the shape of the horns, which, instead of being nearly straight, are con- 

 siderably bent, and sweep towards the back in a noble curve. 



