THE ORYX ANTELOPES. 427 



about in a most fantastic manner, bounding spasmodically off the 

 ground, kicking up his heels, twisting round and round, or 

 suddenly stopping and lowering his shaggy and bearded head 

 between his slender legs, look as though he intended charging 

 vigorously at it. But this comes to naught, and after a few more 

 absurd evolutions he will probably kneel down on his fore-legs, 

 and commence raking the ground with his horns, then, after madly 

 trying to roll on his back, suddenly get up again and begin to paw 

 the earth about like an infuriated rhinoceros, accompanying the 

 action by a few defiant snorts; but it is all sound and fury, 

 signifying nothing, for in a few minutes he will stand quiet 

 again, and apparently totally ignore the article; then pei-haps 

 recommence capering. It is about the most ludicrous expression 

 of impotent rage that any animal could or does exhibit. 



The Oryx antelopes are antelopes of the plains, and the genus 

 contains four elegant and brightly-coloured animals, each inhabit- 

 ing a distinct geographical area. They are the Oryx leucoryx of 

 Eastern and Western Africa, the Oryx beatrix of Arabia, the Oryx 

 gazella of Southern Africa, and the Oryx heisa of the eastern 

 shores of the E-ed Sea. Of these varieties the first and last will be 

 found represented in the illustrations given herewith. They are all 

 conspicuous by the beauty of their horns, which are long, 

 gradually tapering, straight, or slightly arched backwards, ringed 

 at the base, and are situated on the head so as to form a con- 

 tinuation of the facial line. 



The Leuooeyx (0. leucoryx), a name derived from two Grreek 

 ones meaning " white antelope," so called by -i^lian, because of 

 its colour, has the characteristic horns of the genus, rising 

 generally in an exact parallel, and having a gentle curvature 

 backwards ; they are long, but not very thick, taper gracefully to 

 the points, which are sharp, and are annulated half-way up. The 

 ears are erect, elongated, and pointed. The tail, which is long, for 

 it reaches below the hock, is furnished at its termination with a 

 copious tuft of long black and grey-coloured hau-. The general 

 colour is white, but the neck and upper part of the throat are of a 

 uniform brownish colour. 



The leucoryx is the antelope of which we have the oldest record 



