174 THE GNOO, 
most eccentric manner ; then, springing suddenly into the air, they begin 
pawing and capering, and pursue each other in circles at their utmost speed. 
Suddenly they all pull up together to overhaul the intruder, when some of the 
bulls will often commence fighting in the most violent manner, dropping on 
their knees at every shock; 
then, quickly wheeling about, 
they kick up their heels, whirl 
their tails with a fantastic 
flourish, and scour across 
the plain, enveloped in a 
cloud of dust.” On account 
ef these extraordinary ma- 
noeuvres, the Gnoo is called 
Wildebeest by the Dutch 
settlers. The Gnoos in the 
Zoological Gardens may often 
be seen at their gambols. 
The colour of the ordinary 
Gnoo (Connochetes Guu) is 
brownish black, sometimes 
with a blue-grey wash. The 
mane is black, with the ex- 
THE GNOO.—(Connochetes Gnu.) ception of the lower part, 
which is often greyish-white, 
as is the lower part of the tail. The nose is covered with a tuft of reversed 
hair, and there is a mane upon the chest. ; 
The Gnoo is about three feet nine inches high at the shoulders, and 
measures about six feet six inches from the nose to the root of the tail. 
By far the most striking and imposing of all South African Antelopes, the 
Kooboo, now claims our attention. ; ; 
This truly magnificent creature is about four feet in height at the shoulder, 
and its body is rather heavily made, so that it is really a large animal. The 
curiously twisted horns are nearly three feet in length, and are furnished with 
a strong ridge or keel, which extends throughout their entire length. It is 
not so swift or enduring as many Antelopes, and can be run down without 
difficulty, provided that the hunter be mounted on a good horse, and the 
ground be tolerably fair and open. Its leaping powers are very great, for 
one of these animals has been known to leap to a height of nearly ten feet 
without the advantage of a run. . 
The flesh of the Koodoo is remarkably good, and the marrow of the prin- 
cipal bones is thought to be one of Africa’s best luxuries. So fond are the 
natives of this dainty, that they will break the bones and suck out the marrow 
without even cooking it in any way whatever. ‘The skin of this animal is 
extremely valuable, and for some purposes is almost priceless. There is no 
skin that will make nearly so good a “‘fore-slock,” or whip-lash, as that of the 
Koodoo ; for its thin, tough substance is absolutely required for such a 
purpose. Shoes, thongs, certain parts of harness, and other similar objects 
are manufactured from the Koodoo’s skin, which, when properly prepared, is 
worth a sovereign or thirty shillings even in its own land. 
The Koodoo is very retiring in disposition, and is seldom seen except by 
those who come to look for it. It lives in little herds or families of five or 
six in number, but it is not uncommon to find a solitary hermit here or there, 
probably an animal which has been expelled from some family, and is awaiting 
the time for setting up a family ofhis own. As it is in the habit of frequent- 
ing brushwood, the heavy spiral horns would appear to be great hindrances 
