THE ANTELOPES 227 
very nearly related to the last-named species, whose place it takes south of the Tana River in 
certain districts of British and German East Africa. In general appearance there is a strong 
family resemblance between the different species of oryx. In all of them both sexes carry 
horns, which are considerably longer, though somewhat slighter, in the females than in the 
males, In the white oryx the horns are curved backwards; but in the other four species they 
are straight, or nearly so. In all the faces are conspicuously banded with black and white, 
and the tails long, with large dark terminal brushes. The two most desert-loving species, the 
white and the Beatrix oryx, are paler in general body-colour than the other three, and 
the latter animal is considerably smaller than any other member of the group, standing not 
more than 35 inches at the withers. The gemsbuck is the largest and undoubtedly the 
handsomest of the group, standing 4 feet at the shoulders; the horns of the females are 
often upwards of 40 inches long, and have been known to attain a length of 48 inches. 
In habits all species of oryx seem to be very similar. They are denizens of the arid sun- 
scorched plains of Africa, which are not necessarily devoid of all kind of vegetation, but are 
often covered with stunted bush, and carry a plentiful crop of coarse grass after rain. Oryx 
usually run in herds of 
from four or five to fifteen Roe ’ ] 
or twenty, though the 
beisa, the most abundant | 
of the group, has been | 
met with in troops 
numbering 400 or 500 
head. All the oryx are 
shy and wary, and in the 
open country they usually 
frequent are difficult to 
approach on foot. If 
pursued on_ horseback, 
they run at a _ steady 
gallop, which they can 
maintain for long 
distances, swinging their 
bushy black tails from wee me 
side to side, and holding GROUP OF BEISA ORYX 
their heads in 4 such a This most interesting photograph, taken by Lord Delamere, shows a group of these fine antelopes on the 
way that their long East African plains 
straight horns are only 
sloped slightly backwards. Fleet and enduring, however, as oryx undoubtedly are, I am of 
opinion that in these respects the gemsbuck of South Africa, at any rate, is inferior to all 
other large antelopes living in the same country, with the single exception of the eland. I 
have often, when mounted on a fast horse, galloped right up to herds of gemsbuck, and on 
two occasions have run antelopes of this species to an absolute standstill. Oryx of all 
species should be approached with caution when badly wounded, as they are liable to make 
short rushes, and can use their horns with great effect. 
Nearly related to the antelopes of the Oryx group in many essential characteristics, yet at 
once distinguishable by its spiral horns and broad reindeer-like feet, the desert-haunting ADDAX 
has been placed in a separate genus, of which it is the sole representative. 
This remarkable animal stands about 38 inches in height at the withers, and varies in 
general colour at different seasons of the year, from brownish grey to a reddish hue. The 
forehead is covered with a thick growth of bushy black hair, beneath which there is a patch 
of white extending across the nose to under the eyes. The hindquarters, tail, and legs 
are white. The horns are spiral, and are present in both sexes. In the male they attain 
