THt. HORNED ANIMALS— ANTELOPES PROPER. 



491 



One may call the Antelopes, with hardly an ex- 

 ception, useful and valuable animals. In the locali- 

 ties which they inhabit, they seldom work any con- 

 siderable damage; and they are of use on account 

 of their flesh, their horns and their excellent hide. 

 Therefore they are invariably objects of the chase 

 with people of all races who share their native coun- 

 tries. Some Antelopes of great repiitation from the 

 earliest ages have had their praises sung by poets 

 and travelers; and in the pursuit of others the hunter 

 risks his life a hundred times. In various ways Man 

 feels himself attracted by all Antelopes. The ma- 

 jority of species easily bear confinement, at least in 

 their native country; they propagate themselves and 

 delight their keeper by their tame and trustful ways. 

 Some of them literally become domestic animals, 

 and in many instances were so regarded and treated 

 in former times. 



We will mention only - ,', yx 



the most important forms 

 of this sub-family, the rich- 

 est in variety among the 

 Ruminants. 



THE ANTELOPES 

 PROPER. 



I will begin the descrip- 

 tion of the series of ani- 

 mals thus classified with 

 an account of the Ante- 

 lopes proper {Antilope). 

 The group comprised un- 

 der this name is charac- 

 terized by physical propor- 

 tions approaching the Roe- 

 buck in size, elongated 

 horns the outlines of which 

 resemble those of a lyre or 

 which may be spirally 

 twisted, tear-pits which are 

 large as a rule and small 

 only in exceptional cases, 

 the existence of inguinal 

 glands, and a hairless muz- 

 zle of small extent gener- 

 ally restricted to a spot 

 on the upper lip. 



Account The Sasin {An- 



ofthe Sasin tUope cervica- 



Antelope. p^^-^ pj^yg an 



important part in Hindu mythology, and is sacred, 

 along with many other species, to the goddess Chan- 

 dra or the moon. It is smaller, and more slender 

 and elegant than the Fallow Deer. Its body is from 

 forty-eight to fifty-two inches long, the tail meas- 

 ures six inches and the height at the withers is 

 thirty-two inches. The color varies in accordance 

 with the sex and age. Dark brownish-gray tints 

 prevail among old bucks. The female is much 

 lighter and of a sorrel tint. Young females are said 

 to differ from the old ones by the exhibition of a 

 reddish hue. The horns, which are borne only by 

 the bucks, attain an average length of from sixteen 

 to twenty inches, and in some rare cases from twent}- 

 four to twenty-six inches, and are generally bent in 

 a slight spiral of three or four and sometimes five 

 turns. At the roots both horns stand close together, 

 hut at the extremities they are from twelve to six- 

 teen inches apart; they are stouter or more slender 

 according to the age of the animal and are ringed 

 nearly to the tip, which is smooth. Bucks of ad- 



vanced age sometimes show as many as thirty such 

 rings, though their number does not stand in a di- 

 rect proportion to age and growth. 



The Sasin inhabits the open, flat territory of India 

 with the exception of lower Bengal and the coast of 

 Malabar. It usually lives in bands of twenty or 

 thirty and frequently even from forty to sixty. It 

 affects the open country in all cases and shuns 

 thickly grown regions, for it exercises great watch- 

 fulness. Williamson is authority for the statement 

 that a few young males or old females are always 

 posted as sentinels, when the herd is occupied in 

 grazing on some favorite spot. These sentinels keep 

 a particularly watchful eye on bushes behind which 

 a hunter might creep up and hide. The same ob- 

 server says it would be foolish to let Greyhounds 

 course them, for the hunter can expect to be sue- 



THE SASIN. This species of Antelope is a graceful, beautiful animal whicfi lives in India in the opea 



country. The horns, which are borne only by the males, are long and spiral. The Sasin is so fleet that Hounds 

 are useless to hunt it, and Cheetahs and Falcons are employed for that purpose. {Aniilope cervicapra.) 



cessful only if he takes them by surprise; else they 

 instantly seek refuge in flight and dart along at a 

 truly marvelous speed. "The height and length of 

 their leaps amaze everybody; they rise over ten feet 

 above the ground and clear a distance of from twenty 

 to thirty-three feet at a bound, as if they mocked at 

 the pursuing Hound." For this reason the Indian 

 princes never think of chasing them with Hounds, 

 but hunt them with Falcons or Cheetahs. 



Sasins taken young become remarkably tame. 

 They readily bear confinement, usually agree with 

 their own kind and delight one by their trustful, 

 affectionate disposition. They thrive best if they 

 are allowed considerable liberty. 



The Gazelles, The Gazelles are slender and ex- 

 the Typical tremely graceful Antelopes, with an- 

 Antelopes. nulated, lyre-shaped horns, tear-pits, 

 thin, slender loins, long, pointed ears, a small, rudi- 

 mentary toe, and two mammae. The tail is short 

 and tufted at the tip; other tufts exist only on the 

 ankles of the fore-legs. Both sexes are horned. A 



