ALGAZEL. 317 



the horns are very long, thin, and black, nearly 

 upright, bending inwards at their extremities; 

 the}^ are nearly smooth ; the rings with which 

 they are marked being very sHght, except near 

 the base, where they are somewhat more distinct : 

 they are almost three feet in length. 



In celerity and general manners this species 

 agrees with many others of its tribe, and is said to 

 be easily tamed. 



As this Antelope is also supposed to afford a 

 bezoar of the best and finest kind, it may not be 

 improper here to give some general account of the 

 celebrated concretes thus named, and which were 

 once of such high reputation in the m.ateria me- 

 dica, on account of various virtues which the su- 

 perstition of former ages seems to have bestowed 

 upon them. 



Bezoars are smooth, oval, or roundish, and ge- 

 nerally slightly flattened, solid concretions, which 

 are formed in the stomachs of several quadrupeds ; 

 chiefly of the order Pecora or Ruminants. Those 

 found in the eastern regions have always been 

 considered as far superior to any others. The 

 genuine oriental bezoar of the shops is commonly 

 about the size of a kidney-bean, but often far 

 larger ; of an extremely smooth surface, and of a 

 dark olive-colour. When broken, it is found to 

 be composed of a number of concentric coats or 

 lamellae, each almost equally smooth with the 

 exterior : in the middle is either a cavity, or else 

 some powdery or fibrous matter, or some small 

 piece of a vegetable stalk, leaf, &c. which seems 



