OAZELLA BENNETTII. 279 



used to be practised sucx^essfuUy. One at Pooree, on the east coast, south 

 of Cuttack, where the antelope are found in the morning on an extensive 

 plain of heavy sand, and if the dogs are slipped favorably, they are some- 

 times pulled down before they can get on to hard ground. Another is 

 in the desert near Sirsa, where the ground is entirely sandy. The third 

 locality is at Point Calymere, also on the east coast, very far south, not far 

 from Trichinopoly, where there is a tract of fine pasture land always 

 green and elastic, and on which first-rate English dogs have repeatedly 

 pulled down black buck. I rather think that the antelope here are in 

 somewhat soft condition, the grass being always green, and that from this 

 cause they are more easily caught than elsewhere. During the rains, 

 indeed, if antelope are found in the fields where the soil is very soft and 

 heavy, they fall an easy prey to good dogs. 



The venison of this antelope is at times excellent, the meat very fine- 

 grained, but not fat. Colonel W. Campbell says, that of old bucks is in- 

 finitely superior to that of young ones. If taken young this antelope 

 becomes very tame, and will follow its owner about, or wander forth by 

 itself all day and return at evening. I have often seen one accompany- 

 ing a regiment on the line of march. 



This antelope is living in the Zoological Gardens, in London. A large 

 herd of them is kept in the park round Government hopse, at Madras. 

 It is one of the constellations of the Indian zodiac, and is sacred to 

 Chandra. There is no other species of this genus. 



Gen. Gazella, H. Smith. 



Syn. Tragops, Hodgson (partly). 



Char. — Horns rather short, lyrate, ringed, approximate at the base, 

 diverging at the tip, present in the female but very small ; ears long, 

 acuminate ; tail moderate ; eye-pits small, obliquely transverse ; groin- 

 pits distinct ; large feet-pits in all feet ; knees tufted, and calcic tuft 

 posteal. 



This genus comprises the gazelles, so called from the Arabic word, 

 Al-gJiazal, the name of the Antilope dorcas. They are animals of rather 

 small size, with large eyes and very active and graceful, inhabiting bare 

 and desert countries, chiefly in Africa, Arabia and Persia, one species at 

 least extending to India. Several species are known. 



