The Eland is a large heavy animal, which, when full grown, weighs from 7 to 9 cwts. and, contrary to the usual rule observed among Antelopes, is commonly extremely fat. Its flesh is consequently more prized than that of any other wild animal of South Africa, and the large muscles of the thighs, in particular, are held in the highest estimation when dried and cured, under which form they are denominated' thigh-tongues. The character of this animal is very mild, and as it were predisposed to domestication ' • it is gregarious, and lives in large herds upon the open plains and low hills, the old males generally residing apart. Elands were formerly very common in the immediate neighbourhood of Cape Town, but were so much hunted, that they have long since ceased to frequent the inhabited districts, and are now rarely met with except in the more distant and retired parts of the colony. Being generally very fat and purl, they do not run well, and are soon fatigued ; it is even said that when hard run a red oily perspiration has been known to ooze out from the pores of their skin, and that they occasionally drop down from plethora. Like most other animals when hunted, they always run against the wind. As the carcass is weighty and consequently difficult to transport, the great object of the hunters, in the chase of the Eland, is to turn their game in such a direction as to drive it close to their own residence before killing it ; and in fact the Cape farmers, from long practice and intimate knowledge of the animal's habits, very frequently succeed in accomplishing this masterpiece of South African field-sports. They are so gentle that a man on horseback may penetrate into the very middle of a herd, without alarming them, and pick out the fattest and best-conditioned, and as the old bulls arc commonly chosen on account of their greater size and weight, it not uufrequently happens that the herd is left altogether without a male. There are several very fine specimens of this animal in the Zoological Gardens, Regent's Park, presented by the late Earl of Derby.
Mr. Livingstone says of this animal—" Our party was well supplied with Eland flesh during our passage through the desert ; and it being superior to beef, and the animal as large as an ox, it seems strange it has not yet been introduced into England." 77. O. Dertianua, the Gingi Jonga, is a species found in Western Africa on the river Cassaman. It is of a pale reddish-brown colour, with the front of the face, the neck, the front part of the under-side, a spot on the front and upper part of the fore leg, and the dorsal streak, dark black.
Tragetaphua Has horns conical, tapering, with only one spiral turn ; tear-bag distinct ; neck and throat with longer hair ; nape and back with a more or less distinct mane ; legs slender ; hoofs and false hoofs small ; • females hornless.
78. Tragelaphus Eurgrerus (A ntilope Euryeeres, Ogilby), the Broad Horned Antelope, has the head pale-brown ; a broad baud before the eyes, and two large spots on cheeks, chin, and front of upper-lip, white. The horns are elongated, thick, scarcely bent forward at the tip ; the throat covered with long black hairs ; the specimens of this species have come from the Bight of Biafra.
79. T. Angaaii, the Ingala, a native of Natal, is distinguished from the last species by the slenderness of its horns, the smaller sizo of its head, and the dark colour and small size of the bands and spots on the head.
80. T. acripl a (A nt ilope acripta, Pallas), the Guib, measures 4/ feet from the muzzle to the root of the tail ; • its height at the shoulder is 2 feet 6 inches, and at the croup 2 feet 8inches ; the horns are 8 inches long, the ears 5, and the tail 6 inches. The horns are straight, a little com
pressed and twisted spirally upon their axis, with two wreaths passing round them strongly marked at bottom, but obliterated within an inch or two of the points. The general colour is a reddish-fawn marked with white lines and spots. The head is unmixed fawn-colour with a dark mark on the forehead and face, white spots in front and beneath each eye, and another on the cheek, at some distance beneath the opening spread boldly and widely outwards, and are usually carried couched ou each side of the back, on account of their great weight. The whole make of this animal is heavy ; the head large and terminated by a broad muzzle ; the ears broad and slouching ; the limbs thick and robust ; and the whole external appearance more nearly resembling that of an ox than of an antelope. The ground-colour of the back and sides is a light fallow-brown, with a narrow white ribbon along the spine, and 8 or IO similar bands descending from the back, and passing obliquely down the sides and hips ; the belly and under parts are pale silvery brown. On the neck and withers is a thin spare mane of a brown colour, and the chin, throat, and breast are furnished with similar long hairs, forming a species of beard. The cheeks aro marked with two or three round white spots, and a narrow gray line passes from the anterior angle of the eye down towards the muzzle. The tail is moderately long, and equally covered with short hair.
This magnificent animal inhabits the woody parts of Kaffraria, principally along the banks of rivers, to which it readily takes when pursued, and swims welL It lives in small families of four or five individuals. When taken young they are readily domesticated, and show no inclination to regain their original freedom. The females produce one young at a time. The large antelope called Aggergeen by Pearce, in his account of his Residence in Abyssinia,' has been sup posed, but with little probability, to be the same as the Koodoo of South Africa.
76. Oreas Canna, (Antelope Orme, Pallas,) the Impoofoo, Eland, Cape of the oar ; the sides of the upper lip and the whole space under the chin are likewise white. The neck is unmixed fawn, deep above and lighter beneath, with a white mark on the breast the body likewise is deep fawn-colour, with a dorsal lino of white and black hair inter mixed, and rather longer than those on the rest of the body. Front this dorsal line originate 8 or 10 narrow transverse ribbons of pure white, which pass obliquely down over the ribs and hips, and are crossed on the sides and flanks by one or sometimes two longitudinal bands of the same colour, running from The shoulder to the hips on each aide, in a direction parallel to the dorsal line. All these markings are constant in the species, and equally common to both sexes : they are at regular distanct.+ from one another, and, as Buffon has observed, present the appearance of a set of small harness. A few small round white spots are frequently also scattered over the hips and thighs, as In the Bosch Doe, and the interior of the fore arms, thighs, and legs are likewise of this colour, but the breast, belly, and under parts of tho body in general are uniform fulvous brown.