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would do fo when I came before them i but, as they 
never darted, I fo little thought this pofture meant 
hoftility, that I rather fuppofed it expreffive of a 
timid or obfequious humility 
Female. The Female differs fo much from the 
Makt that w^e fhould fcarcely fuppofe them to be the 
fame fpecies. She is much fmaller, both in height 
and thicknefs. In her fhape, and in her yellowifh 
colour, Ihe very much refembles deer; and has no 
horns. She has four nipples, and is fuppofed to go 
nine months with young. She commonly has one 
at a birth, and fornetimes twins. 
The young male Nyl-ghau is like the female in 
colour, and therefore like a Fawn. 
Species. When a new animal is prefented to 
us, it will often be difficult, and fornetimes impof- 
fible, to determine its, ijaecies, by the external cha- 
radlers alone. But when fuch an animal is diffedted 
by an anatomift, who is a mafler in comparative 
■* The intrepidity and force wi'h which they dart againll 
any objedf may be conceived from the following anecdote, of 
the fineft and largeft of thofe animals that has ever been feen in 
England. The violence which he did to himfelf, was fuppofed 
to occafion his death, which happened foon after. A poor la- 
bouring man, without knowing that the animal was near him, 
and therefore neither meaning to offend, nor fufpedfing the 
danger, came up near to the outfide of the pales of the in- 
clofure ; the Nyl-ghau, with the quicknefs of lightening, darted 
againft the wood work, with fuch violence, that he broke it to 
pieces; and broke off one of his horns clofe to the root. From 
this piece of hiftory and farther inquiry, I was fatisfied that 
the animal is vicious and fierce in the rutting feafon, how- 
ever gentle and tame at other times. 
VoL. LXI. A a 
anatomy, 
