46 



GREAT GAME ANIMALS. 



[East 

 Corridor. 

 Cases 

 XVIII, 



XIX, & 



XX. ] 



[Lower 

 Mammal 

 Gallery. 

 Cases £6 

 & 57.] 



lunatus (1238), of South Africa, the East African Hunter's 

 Hartebeest, D. hunteri (1231), the East African Topi, D. jimela 

 (1233), and Tiang, D. tiang (1232, fig. 32), and the South African 

 Blesbok, D. albifrons (1234), and Bontebok, D.pygargus (1235), of 

 which a beautiful group, presented by Mr. F. C. Selous, is exhibited. 



The Gnus. The Gnus, or Wildebeests as they are called by the 

 GenilS Cape Dutch, are distinguished, among other features, 

 Connochsetes. from the Hartebeests by the downwardly curving, 

 smooth horns, and the very broad muzzle, which is fringed with 

 long bristles, and has the apertures of the nostrils widely separated 

 from one another. In young animals the horns are straight and 

 upright ; but in very old bulls they almost join one another at the 

 base. The upright mane, and the thickly-haired long tail are 

 also distinctive features. Gnus inhabit Central, East, and South 

 Africa, and frequent open country in the neighbourhood of water. 

 They possess great speed and endurance ; and are remarkable for 

 their habit of indulging in strange gambols and antics when a 

 waggon or horseman approaches their feeding-grounds. The 

 typical or true Gnu of the Hottentots is the South African White- 

 tailed species, Connocluetes gnu (1251, fig. 32, A), now nearly 

 extinct, of which a male presented by Mr. F. C. Selous, and a 

 female and calf, the gift of Mr. Rudd, are exhibited. The second 

 species is the Brindled Gnu, C. taurinus (1252), of which there 

 are several local races. 



The Pronghorn Antelope, or Prongbuck 

 The Pronghorn Antelope. {Aniilocapra americana) 12 53, fig. 33), 



Family AntHocapridae. i s the sole representative of a family closely 

 allied to the Bovidce, but distinguished by the circumstance that the 

 sheaths of the horns of the males are branched and annually shed, 

 instead of being simple and retained permanently. As a rule, the 

 females are hornless ; but when horns are present these are simple 

 and much smaller than those of the bucks. Prongbucks are 

 social animals ; individuals of all ages and of both sexes congre- 

 gating in large herds from September to February. They are the 

 swiftest of North American Ungulates, although their endurance is 

 not great. They differ from most Antelopes in being unable to leap. 

 When running, the hairs of the white patch on the buttocks are 

 erected and expanded so as to form a large chrysanthemum-like patch 

 which forms a guide to the members of the herd in flight. 



