?io MAMMALIA. PECORA. Antelope. 



21. t, i. and 3. f. 6. 9. ro. 11. S. G. Gmelin, It. ii. 174. t. 12.; and Nov. com. Petrop. xvL 

 P. i. 512. Forfter, in Phil. Tranf. lvii. 344. 



Antilope fcythica, or Scythian Antelope. Pall. fp. zool. i. 9. Faunul. finenf. Erxleb. mamm. 

 289— Scythian Antilope. Penn. hift. of quad. n. 37.— Capra tartarica, or Tartarian Goat. Syft. 

 nat. ed. xii. 97. n. 11. — Ibex imberbis, or Beardlefs Ibex. J. G. Gmel. Nov. com. Petrop. v. 345. 

 vii. fumm. 39. t. 19.— Saiga. J. G. Gmel. It. Sib. i. 212. Sm. Buff. vi. 393. D°. Fr. ed. xii. 198. 

 t. 22. f. 2. Bell's trav. i. 43.— Colus. Strabo, geogr. vii. Gefn. quad. 893. Jonft. quad. t. 27.— 

 Suhac. Aldrov. bifuk. 763. Charlet. exerc. ii. Rzaczinfci, Pol. 224. auft. 320. 



Inhabits Poland, Moldavia, the Carpathian mountains, Caucaflus, about the Cafpian and Euxine 

 fas, near lake Aral, in the Altaic chain, and generally from the Danube to the Irtifh, never going far- 

 ther north than about the fifty-fifth degree of latitude. — They dwell moftly in open deferts, which 

 abound with fait fprings, and feed much on faline, acrid, and aromatic vegetables. In autumn they 

 collect into vaft flocks, and migrate regularly into the fouthern deferts ; in fpring they return north- 

 wards, and divide into fmall parcels: They are exceedingly fhy and timid; amazingly fwift, but foon 

 fatigued; their voice refembles the bleating of fheep; they have a very quick fenfe of fmelling, which 

 obliges the hunters always to approach them againhV the wind ; and, when feeding or refting, the 

 flock is always guarded by centinels ; in fummer their fight is very weak. When taken young they 

 are very eafily tamed, and become very docile ; but the old ones are fo obftinate, when taken, as to 

 refufe nourifhment. They frequently walk backwards when feeding, and pluck the grafs on each 

 fide ; and in walking they carry their heads very high. The Saiga is about the fize of a Fallow Deer, 

 being a little more than four feet long ; it has fix fore-teeth in each jaw, in which it differs not only 

 from the other fpecies of the genus, but from the whole order : The fur in fummer is very fhort, of 

 a grey colour, mixed with yellow, and darker on the legs below the knees; the fpace about the cheeks 

 is whitifh ; the fore-head and crown, of the head are hoary, and covered with long hairs ; the under 

 fide of the neck and body are white ; the knees are furnifhed with brufhes or tufts of hair ; the tail 

 is four inches long, naked below, covered above with upright hairs, and tufted at the end: In winter 

 the fur becomes long, rough, and hoary. The head is large, and in the living animal the nofe is- 

 much arched, thick, and fwelling, with very open noftrils, but after death it grows flaccid, having no 

 os nafi, or feptum; the horns are about eleven inches long, of a pale yellow colour, almoft tranfparent, 

 the greateft part of their length is- furrounded with rings, and- the extremities are fmooth.. The female 

 has no horns, her fur is fofter than that of the male ; the rutting feafon is. in November, at which* 

 time the males, otherwife very timid, will fight boldly in defence of their mates; and before the 

 middle of May the females produce moftly one at a birth, the young animal being covered with a very 

 foft, waved, and curled fleece, like that of a Lamb. They are hunted with guns, dogs, or even with 

 eagles, for the fake of their horns and fkins ; they grow very fat in fummer, but the flefh is fcarcely. 

 eatable till it grows cold after being dreffed, owing to a rank or balfamic tafte it acquires from the na- 

 ture of their food. Sometimes this animal is found with three horns, and, at other times, though very 

 rarely, with only one ; indeed the horns of this fpecies are fubjecT: to very great variety in figure, 

 notwithftanding the defci ; ; ti(3n given in the character; but they may always be diftinguifhed by their 

 pale, colour and femitranfparency, molt other Antelopes having black opake horns,. 



(Jgr 9, Tz: in — y. Antilope gutturofa. 9. 



Of a reddifh ;oloi .. fflfg the horns bent in form of a tyre, and no brufiiss on the knees. 



Pall. fpic. .. ,. n. 9. and p.-, 46.. t. 2. 3. f. 14.--17. 



Antilope, 



