ANT 
rious lengths, but always covered with pretty long 
hair; and the ears, which are beautiful and well 
placed, terminate in a point. The hoof is cloven, 
like that of the fheep; and the horns are peren- 
nial, thofe of the female being confiderably fmaller 
than the male's. Indeed, on comparing the An- 
telopes one with another, we find very inconfidera- 
ble variations between them. The turn or magni- 
tude of the horns, the different fpots in the flcin, or 
diverfities of fize, conftitute the principal marks by 
which the feveral fpecles are diftinguilhed; for 
their mode of living, habits, and peculiar Iwiftnefs, 
fall under one general defcription. 
Antelopes being inhabitants of the more fun- 
ny climes, greatly contribute to add beauty to thofe 
forefts which are perpetually green. They are of- 
ten feen feeding in herds on the fides of the moun- 
tains, or the fkirts of the woods, and fly all together 
on the flighteft intimation of danger. Indeed, they 
run with fuch amazing fwiftnels, and are fo ex- 
tremely timid, that dogs or men ufually purfue 
them in vain. They traverfe, with fafety and fa- 
cility, thofe precipices which would be wholly im- 
paffable by every other quadruped except the goat; 
nor can any animals, not of the winged tribe, by 
any means exceed them in fwiftnefs. On this 
account, they are commonly purfued by falcons ; 
and that curious metliod of hunting forms one of 
the moft favourite amulements among the grandees 
of the eaft. 
The Arabians, Perlians, and Turks, carefully 
breed up, and train for this purpofe, that fpecies of 
hawk, which we call the gentle falcon. The hunter 
fallies forth on horfeback, among the woods and 
mountains, with one of thefe falcons perched on 
his right-hand, preferving the moft profound 
filence; and the dogs, with which he is alfo attend- 
ed, are taught to hang behind; wliile the attend- 
ants, mounted on fleet couriers, look out for game. 
When they perceive an Antelope at a diftance, 
they direft the falcon's eye to the fpot, and animate 
it to purfue. It immediately flies with incredible 
fwifcnels to the animal; which, apprized of it's 
danger, endeavours to efcape, but generally with- 
out effeft. The falcon, on overtaking it's prey, 
fixes one talon into the animal's cheek, and the 
other into it's throat: on this the wounded Ante- 
lope increafes it's fpeed; but the falcon ufually 
makes it's attack with fuch fuccefs as to prevent 
the animal's running far, clinging with the moft 
relblute perfeverance to it's prey, nor ever quitting 
it till it falls. The hunters then approach, and at 
once feizing the Antelope, and difengaging the fal- 
con, reward the latter with the blood of the fpoil. 
They alfo apply young falcons to the throat of the 
dead animal, for the purpofe of early accuftoming 
them to fix on that particular place; fince,were the 
falcon to attack any other part of the Antelope, ei- 
ther on it's back or haunches, the animal would 
eafily efcape among the mountains, and thus both 
would be irretrievably loft. 
Nor is this the only method by which thefe fleet 
and wary animals are fubdued. The ounce, a 
carnivorous and favage creature, is trained for this 
purpofe, to fit on horfeback behind the hunter; 
where it remains with the utmoft compofure till he 
gets fight of the prey. It then exerts all it's arts, 
and all it's fiercenefs ; not darting precipitately on 
the Antelope, but turning and winding about till 
it comes within the proper diftance; when, fwift 
as lightning, it darts on the incautious animal, 
i^lls it inftantaneoufly, and riots on the blood. 
ANT 
But if the- ounce happens to mifs it's aim, it re-^ 
turns to it's place without attempting an ineffec- 
tual purfuit, and feems aftiamed of the failure of 
it's artifice. 
There is ftill another way of taking the Ante- 
lope; but which fecms neither fo certain, norfoamuf- 
ing, as either of the former. An Antelope being 
bred up tame, is taught to join it's ov/n kind the 
moment it fees them. When, therefore, the hun- 
ter difcovers a herd of Antelopes together, he con- 
trives to fix a noofe round the horns of the domef- 
tic animal, fo that if any of the wild ones merely 
touch it with theirs, they arefure to be entangled; 
and, thus prepared, he fends it among them. The 
tame animal no fooner approaches the wild herd, 
than the males fally ford\ to oppofe it; and, butt- 
ing with their horns, are caught in the noofe. In 
this condition they ftruggle together till both fall 
to the ground : when the hunter comes up ; and, 
difengaging the tame animal, kills or fecures the 
other. 
But notwithftanding all the artifice of man, and 
the ingenuity he difplays in thefe feveral modes of 
deftmilion, the Antelope is extremely difficult to 
be caught. Continually expofed to alarms from 
beafts of prey as well as man, and feemingly con- 
fcious of the number and the artifice of it's ene- 
mies, it places it's principal dependence for pro- 
teftion on the nature of it's fituation, and chiefly 
refides in the moft folitary and inacceflJible places. 
Antelope, Common. The Ccnnmon Antelope 
is fomewhat inferior in fize to the fallow-deer, 
but refembles it in all the proportions of it's 
body. It is furnifhed with upright horns Ipirally 
twifted, and encircled almoft to the top with pro- 
minent rings; the horns being about fixteen inches 
long, and twelve inches diftant fi-om point to 
point. The colour of this animal is brown mixed 
with red, and dufl^y; it's belly and the infides of 
it's thighs are white; and it has a fhortifh tail, 
black above, and white beneath. The female of 
this fpecies is deftitute of horns. 
This animal is a native of Barbary. It's horns, 
before they are feparated from the fcull, are not 
much unlike the figure of the ancient lyre; and, 
indeed, it appears, from feveral antique gems, 
that the fides of that inftrument were frequently 
made of the horns of animals. 
Antelope, Blue. The colour of this animal, 
v/hile it ranges it's native woods, is a fine blue; 
but, after death, it changes to a blueifh grey mixed 
with white. The horns are twenty inches long, 
fharp pointed, taper, and bending in an arch back- 
wards ; they are marked with twenty prominent 
rings, but become perfeftly finooth towards the 
points. This fpecies, which is fomevvhat longer than 
the common buck, is covered with long hair, that on 
the belly being white. The tail is feven inches 
long; and, beneath each eye there is -a large white 
mark. From the length of it's hair, and the con- 
ftru6lion of it's horns, this animal feems to con- 
ne6t the genus with that of the goat. It inhabits 
the interior parts of Africa; and is called by the 
Dutch at the Cape of Good Hope, the blawme 
bock, or blue goat. 
Antelope, j^lgypti an. The horns of this 
animal are ftraight, flender, and annulated. They 
are near three feet long; and the fpace between their 
tips is fourteen inches. They have a black trian- 
gular fpot at the bafe, bounded on each fide with 
white ; and, in the centre of the face, there is a 
fimilarfpot, befides two others which fall from the 
eyes 
