THE SPORTSMAN IN SOUTH AFRICA. 49 



This strange, spiteful-looking antelope, like its congener the Blue 

 Wildebeest, is now almost extinct in the Cape Colony, except on a 

 few preserved farms in Victoria West, and it is unknown North of 

 the Orange and Crocodile Rivers. Its habits are very similar to the 

 species above mentioned, being, however, whimsical and extremely 

 ungainly, and presenting an appearance of ferocity which it does not 

 possess. As it evinces an abundance of curiosity, and is not by any 

 means shy or timid, it is easily shot. The Black Wildebeest is 

 gregarious, and frequents open plains sometimes remote from water. 

 Flesh coarse and unpalatable. 



The Gemsbuck {Oryx gazella). Fig. 17, Plate V. — [Gemsbok 

 of the Dutch; Kukham of the Bechuanas; Kau of the 

 Masarwas.) 



\_Height of adult male about 4 feet, occasionally larger. General 

 colour, fawnish grey; dark brown patches on arms under shoulder, 

 continuing direct along the flanks over white of belly; lower portion 

 of haunch patched similarly; face, brown and white, alternately 

 striped lengthwise ; narrow brown stripe extending from throat 

 down centre of neck as far as breast; body very stout; neck par- 

 ticularly thick and powerful ; tail long and coarse. Horns 

 average J feet 2 inches, sometimes attaining J feet 6 inches, 

 straight, round, tapering, well annulated. Horns of female longer, 

 occasionally reaching to 4 feet, being much narrower at base than 

 those of male. Spoor, slightly under 4 inches, heart-shaped, rather 

 blunt at the points of hoof] 



Herds of this antelope are only found in the far recesses of 

 the Kalahari where there is no permanent surface water, the only 

 approachable portions of this district which are frequented by the 

 species in dry seasons being in the angle formed by the Botletle 

 River, where, after following an almost due Easterly course, it 

 bends sharply to the South. Northward of that river, and as 

 far up as the Mababe Flats, and around the great salt-pans, it is 

 also still rather plentiful. The Gemsbuck never approaches per- 

 manent water-courses, and it is only after heavy rains, when the 

 vleys are filled, that it ever drinks at all. There is, however, a 

 species of wild water-melon, resembling a cucumber, which grows 

 luxuriantly in sandy places, even in the very driest season, and this 



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