THE HORNED ANIMALS-DWARF ANTELOPES. 



505 



ceeds under cover of the foliage, until it has gained 

 a start: then it again bounds away. The cleverest 

 hunter and the best Dog are often baffled by the 

 DUyker; if the course of the buck can be traced and 

 the place in which it lies down, after its erratic ma- 

 neuvering, discerned, it can easily be approached 

 from the leeward side. The irregular course which 

 it pursues necessitates great accuracy and quickness 

 of aim in shooting it, however. The Duyker is not 

 very swift; an old Pointer, which served me as a 

 Dog of all work, frequently caught and held a Duy- 

 ker until I came up and despatched it. The skin of 



THE FOUB-HOBNED ANTELOPE. One of the most peculiar of 



the Antelopes is the Four-horned species shown in the picture. The ani- 

 mals are found in India. The most characteristic feature of this Antelope 

 is the small, extra pair of horns in front of the main pair borne by every 

 finale. {JTetraceros guadricornis.) 



the Duyker is used for the thongs of long wagon 

 whips; the flesh is highly esteemed for making good 

 soup. As a general rule the venison of South Afri- 

 can Antelopes and Deer is very inferior, being dry 

 and tasteless, but to the epicurean sportsman I can 

 recommend the liver of all the small Antelopes as 

 a great delicacy. The Dutch grease and baste the 

 flesh of the Duyker with fat taken from the Eland 

 or the Hippopotamus and greatly improve the flavor 

 of the venison." 



DWARF ANTELOPES. 



The smallest species of the family are ranged un- 

 der the title of Dwarf Antelopes {Neotragus). They 

 arfe exceedingly elegant little animals, exhibiting 

 great similarity among themselves, and only the 

 males bear horns, those members being very small, 

 thin and erect. The roundish head and the pointed 

 nose, with its small muzzle, are further distinctive 



features. All known species strongly resemble each 

 other in their habits and demeanor, so that it will 

 suffice if I draw a pen picture of one observed by 

 myself and connect what is known of other species 

 with this description. 

 The Greyhound The Greyhound Antelope {Neotra- 

 Antelope of gus hemprichii), called Beni Israel 

 East Africa. by the inhabitants of Massowah, 

 is one of the daintiest of Ruminants. The buck 

 has a pair of small horns with from ten to twelve 

 rings extending half around on the lower half of 

 the outer. side and with tips which curve forward; 

 these horns are nearly covered by the strongly de- 

 veloped hair-tuft and entirely overshadowed by the 

 very long ears. The body is sturdy, the tail a short- 

 haired stump; the legs are of moderate length, but 

 extremely weak; the hoofs are long, narrow and 

 pointed, the rudimentary toes barely perceptible. 

 The hair is very fine and rather long. The color 

 appears reddish-gray or bluish-gray. On the back 

 the hue warms into reddish-brown; the thighs of 

 the fore-legs are often mottled, the under parts and 

 inner surfaces of the legs white. A broad band 

 above and below the eyes is white; the ears are 

 edged with a blackish tint; the horns and hoofs are 

 black. 



THE BUSH-BUCK. This Antelope, which is also called the Duy- 

 ker or Diver, is especially numerous in the southern part of Africa. Al- 

 thouEh not large it is a very agile animal, and on its head it bears in 

 addition to its short horns a tuft ot hair which it can erect at will. (Cefli- 

 alolophus mergens.) 



In Abyssinia one can hardly miss the Beni Israel, 

 in suitable places, beginning from the sea-coast to 

 an elevation of six thousand feet. Nearly all Dwarf 

 Antelopes are inhabitants of the forests of under- 

 brush so abundant in Africa. Thickets which would 

 be impenetrable for other larger Antelopes provide 

 these Lilliputians with magnificent residences. They 

 find a path among the densest of tangles and an exit 



