WILDEBEESTE AND HARTEBEESTE 261 



points concerning which observers are still consider- 

 ably exercised. One shining light goes so far as to 

 trace the Gnu with ponderous precision to an un- 

 doubted type of specified hartebeeste, and I cannot 

 help thinking that since the original form still 

 survives, and appears none the worse for having 

 severed its connection with its coexisting, aberrant 

 relative, there is ground for surprise that it should 

 display no outward and visible sign of its share in 

 so singular a connection. But nearly all scientists 

 are hke that. I remember reading somewhere that 

 the unfortunate type of antelope we are considering 

 had been gravely classed with the Budorcas of 

 Tibet, whilst in the same page, and only a few lines 

 lower down, one found the gifted author apparently 

 prepared to welcome suggestions lending probability 

 to an affinity between the Wildebeeste of Africa 

 and the Musk Sheep (Ovibos) of North America. 

 One's mind loses itself, therefore, in a wide field of 

 conjecture as to what the feelings of the wretched 

 Wildebeeste would be did he but know of half the 

 outrageous attempts which are so often made to 

 connect him with families with whom he would prob- 

 ably in no sort of way welcome proof of alliance. 



Let us now turn to the Hartebeeste {Bubalis 

 lichtenstdni), and see how far his appearance at 

 least lends itself to such theories as those above 

 quoted. All over the open grass and thinly forested 

 country the Hartebeeste occurs with wearying per- 

 sistency, single beasts frequently consorting with 

 zebras, waterbuck, and other varieties, but not 

 tending, so far as I have yet ascertained, to produce 

 any more aberrant types by means of these casual 



