COMMON ANTELOPE, 241 
their favourite food. Though their form seems to 
promise agility and speed, yet are they said to run 
slowly., and to become soon fatigued. No other 
antelope is so easily overtaken by the hounds. But 
when the foe approaches, the male turns, and brave- 
ly defends himself with his horns. The female, 
though not furnished with these weapons of de- 
fence, is not swifter than the male. The flesh is 
excellent food, the marrow delicious. 
Common antelope. 
The animals of this species are somewhat infe- 
rior in size to the fallow-deer. The general co- 
lour of their body is a dusky brown, mixed with 
red. The belly and the inside of the thighs are 
white. The orbits of the eyes are likewise white ; 
and a white spot marks each side of the forehead. 
The horns. are about fourteen inches long, marked 
with distinct rings nearly to the points, and bended* 
by a double flexure, into a form resembling that 
of the ancient lyre. The females are without 
horns. 
Barbary and India are the regions which this 
species is known chiefly to inhabit. The female 
goes nine months with young, and produces only 
one at a birth. 
Bengal, as we learn from travellers, affords a 
variety of this species, the horns of which resem- 
ble those of the common antelope of Barbary ; but 
its face, back* and sides, are of a very deep brown 
colour ; its belly and the inside of its legs are 
white ; its tail is black above and white beneath ; 
and its size superior to that of the last variety. 
Mr. Pennant distinguishes this animal by the 
epithet brown, and conjectures that it may be the 
same with the lidmee of Barbary, mentioned by 
Dr. Shaw in his Travels. 
VOL a II. I i 
