Antilopid^. MAMMALIA. Antilopid.®. IG7 
generally, the limbs being reddish below the knees, the 
rump white, the tail, which is two feet in length and 
tapering, being rufous and whitish at the margins; 
three white spots exist on the cheek, and a pale band 
passes along the central line of the back, giving off, as 
it were, at right angles, five or six transversely-disposed 
whitish bands, directed downwards on either side 
towards the belly. These markings are not so con- 
spicuous in the female, which is also of slighter build, 
destitute of horns, and furnished with four mammae. 
The Koodoos are gregarious, and, though still found 
within the colony, are comparatively scarce. They are 
deservedly admired by travellers who have seen them 
in the wild state. “Of all the varied and beauteous 
forms of animal life to be found in the bomidless woods 
and plains of tropical South Africa, the Koodoo is 
unquestionably the most distinguished for elegance and 
gracefulness, united with strength.” So writes Mr. 
Andersson, who considers it a perfect picture, and “one 
of the grandest-looking antelopes in the world.” The 
same ardent sportsman gives us an account of a curious 
method adopted by the natives for its capture : — “ The 
Bushmen have a way of their own of hunting the 
Koodoo, viz., by nmning it down, not by speed of foot, 
but by gradually exhausting it ! When a hunt of this 
kind is decided on, a number of these people assemble, 
armed with assegais, &c. Having started the animal, 
one of the party takes up its “spoor” at a quick pace, 
the rest following more leisurely. On feeling fatigued 
the leading man drops behind his comrades, and the 
next in order takes up the pursuit, and so on, until they 
secure tlie prize. Sometimes this is effected in the 
course of a few hours; but it happens also that the 
chase lasts for a whole day, or even longer. All 
depends on the gi'ound. If stony or rocky, the men 
have an immense advantage over the animal, which, 
under such circumstances, soon becomes foot-sore, lies 
down repeatedly, and after a while is found unable to 
rise, when it is quickly despatched. The women and 
children carry water on these occasions for the hunters, 
so that, shordd the animal prove very enduring, his 
pursuers may not be necessitated to give up the chase 
for want of that indispensable necessary.” The flesh 
of the Koodoo is highly esteemed, and the hide is con- 
verted into various articles of clothing, harness, &c. 
THE ELAND {Boselaphus areas) is a magnificent 
animal, the largest of the antelopes, and on many 
accounts deserving of an extended notice. It is also 
known by the names of the Cape Elk, Ganna, and 
Impoofoo — the latter term being employed by the 
Bechuanas and Matabili. The importance of this 
ruminant will be at once appreciated when it is men- 
tioned, that not only is its flesli of the most palatable 
and nutritious character, but experiments have recently 
established the fact that it will readily breed in this 
country. When it is added, moreover, that several are 
now thriving in the parks of English noblemen, and 
that a single individual weighs from fifteen hundred to 
two thousand pounds, it will be easily understood that 
the day cannot be far distant when the Eland shall 
become permanently domesticated in this country, and 
supply wholesome food, at least to the table of the 
wealthy. Not long ago an Eland, bred and fattened in 
England, was slaughtered for the express purpose of 
testing its epicurean qualities, the result of which was 
that Royalty, both on this and the other side of the 
channel, partook of the venison, and pronounced it 
excellent. Professor Owen extolled its qualities in the 
columns of the Times, whilst many other distinguished 
fellows of the Zoological Society testified to the accu- 
racy of his judgment. In short, every body pronounced 
a favourable opinion, in terms very similar to those of 
the gifted author of the “ Game and Wild Animals of 
Southern Africa,” who amusingly says : — “ Both in 
grain and colour it resembles beef, but is far better 
tasted and more delicate, possessing a pure game 
flavour, and exhibiting the most tempting-looking layers 
of fat and lean ; the surprising quantity of the former 
ingredient with which it is interlarded, exceeding that of 
any other game quadruped with which I am acquainted. 
The venison fairly melts in the mouth ; and as for the 
brisket, that is absolutely a cut for a monarch ! With 
what satisfaction would not King Jamie of hunting 
memory, have dra\vn his good blade ado\vn the breast 
of a plump Eland, to be rewarded with five full inches 
of ‘ prime white fat on that ilk,’ instead of three, as on 
the occasion in Greenwich Park, when Nigel assisted 
his sporting Majesty in the sylvan ceremony? The 
vast quantity of tallow yielded by the fat bulls, fur- 
nished us with constant material for manufacturing 
‘dips’ in a candle mould with which we were pro- 
vided ; and during the greater part of our journey it 
was to the flesh of this goodly beast that we principally 
looked for otir daily rations, both on account of its vast 
superiority over every other wild flesh, and from the 
circumstance of its being obtainable in larger quantities 
with comparatively less labour.” Here we must pause 
to mention the principal characters by which this 
gigantic antelope is easily distinguished (fig. 59). An 
adult male stands fully six feet high at the shoulder, or 
even more ; the length being in some cases upwards of 
nine feet from the nose to the root of the tail. The 
horns are nearly straight, massive, conical, furnished 
with a strongly-developed spiral ridge, which graduallj^ 
disappears at the upper third, where the ends become 
attenuated and sharply pointed. In the female the 
horns are longer, slighter, and less markedly furrowed. 
The forehead of the male is clothed with a thick bundle 
of stiff, wiry, brownish hairs; the tuft being bordered 
on either side by a band of yellow-orange colour. The 
ears are comparatively small and the muzzle broad, the 
neck thick, the dewlap very prominent and fringed with 
long brown hairs, the legs rather short, the shoulders 
and hind quarters enormously developed, the fur short 
and of a rufous-dun or ashy-grey colour generally, the 
tail being about twenty-six inches long and tufted at 
the extremity. The female exhibits a bead-like tuft of 
hair on the under part of the neck, has a more ferru- 
ginous colour, and is furnished with four teats. Re- 
specting the habits of this interesting animal, it is well 
knowi to frequent only the more open plains of the 
interior; “rejoicing especially,” says Captain Harris, 
“ in low belts of shaded hillocks, and in the isolated 
groves of Acacia capensis, which, like islands in the 
ocean, are scattered over many of the stony and gravelly 
plains of the interior ; large herds of them are also 
