BUBALtrS CAAMA.
the fore ones it is narrow and pointed superiorly, on the hinder blunt, rounded
and arched obliquely backwards and upwards. The brownish red of the parts
described is strongly glossed with grey. The extremities below the knees
and houghs are light yellowish brown softened with grey, except in front,
where each is marked with a narrow stripe of dark hair, most distinct on the
fore legs; the pastern-joints posteriorly are also of a dark brownish red
colour. Lower lip pale reddish brown; space behind muzzle rusty white.
Ears externally light yellowish brown, internally white; tail above at base
the same colour as back, below white, towards tip reddish brown ; horns
between umber and yellowish brown; eyes light reddish orange.
F orm , &c—Figure ill formed and ungainly, the hinder parts not developed
in the same proportion as the fore parts. The height at the withers considerably
greater than at the croup, which depends in some measure upon the
greater length of the fore-legs, but chiefly upon the unusual elongation of
the spinous processes of the first five or six dorsal vertebras The head is
long and narrow, the forehead prominent superiorly, and bearing the horns.
The latter are nearly cylindrical and almost in contact at their bases. The
first two-thirds of each horn is scabrous from a series of elevated rings connected
by longitudinal grooves, the last third smooth. The number of the
rings vary according to the age of the animal; thus they are found sometimes
not to exceed ten, at other times there are from sixteen to eighteen : they vary
much also in regard to their perfection, being found in many individuals
not surrounding more than two-thirds of the horns, and in others forming
complete circles, especially upon the first third. In full grown, but especially
in aged individuals, many of these rings are broken and knotted anteriorly,
more particularly those which occur upon the second third. The direction of
the horns is at first backwards, and outwards, then forwards, and slightly
inwards, in a regular curve, the concavity of which is forward; the last third
of each horn is directed backwards and slightly outwards, and lies nearly
at a right angle with the first two-thirds. Eyes large and soft. Ears ovate
and patulous. Muzzle small and shaped somewhat like the head of an
arrow. About two inches below the inner corner of each eye there is a large
flat and nearly circular suborbital gland and the fluid it secretes, which is
viscid and tenacious, is discharged externally by one simple orifice; by this
secretion, the surrounding hair is agglutinated into a hard mass, the appearance
and situation of which will be understood from a reference to the figure.
Each foot has an unguinal sinus, and there are two inguinal pores and two
inguinal mammae. The tail is slender, the first third covered with short, and
the last two-thirds with long hair, the latter is all turned backwards and
forms a compressed fringe or border posteriorly. The hair of the animal
generally is soft, short, and recumbent. On the inner surface of the ears, it
is rather long. Towards the tip of the lower jaw there are a number of
rather long fine bristles.
DIMENSIONS.
Ft. Inches. Ft. Inches.
Length from the nose to thé base of Distance between the eye and the
0
of the tail ............................. 1 between the horns at/the base 0 %
from the tip of the nose to the between the horns at the tips 0 lOi
„ ,i i 3 lOf
91 3 e4
of the ears .......................— 0 7
The female is rather smaller in stature than the male, and the horns are
less powerful, and neither so strongly ringed nor knotted. The colours are
nearly similar.
Wherever travellers from the Gape of Good Hope have reached, they have found the
Hartebeesl, and we, besides having actually killed specimens close to the tropic of Capricorn,
have also heard of the animal existing much, farther to the northward. At the same time th a t we
had proofs of its residence in the latitude mentioned, we also had evidence th a t it does not
occur so frequently there as it does more to the southward. In fact, from the parallel where
litubalus lunata began to occur, Bubalm Caama- began to be rare, and from our observation
we would be justified in pronouncing th a t the former took in a great measure the place of the
latter in all the territory northward of 25e. S. latitude; ; ;
The circumstance of a species being restricted in its range, and of having its place in an adjoining
locality taken by a different one o f the same genus, without there occurring a t the time
any deficiency of the food upon which the former is accustomed to feed, must ever afford a
subject of interesting reflection to the field naturalist. That many species have limits beyond
which they rarely extend, no one will doubt who has studied the animal productions of countries
still favourably situated for actual observation ; yet few, probably, will pretend th at they have
discovered the causes of such occurrences. : Not many observers will be hardy enough to maintain
th at the habitat o f a species is limited purely in consequence of its food being limited, since
the majority must know th at the substitution of one animal for another often takes place long
before th a t food fails to exist upon which the one which has ceased to occur is prone to feed.
Can the cause then be the influencé of habit? While.considering the circumstance, with proofs
of its occurrence actually under our observation* we have occasionally been disposed to ascribe
it to such an influence ; but, we always found the conclusion untenable when we recollected th at
in all probability many of the instances we had the opportunity of observing could not have resulted
from the power of an established habit, such as we supposed, inasmuch as we had often
met individuals out of the favourite range of the species, though these individuals, having all the
peculiarities of their kind as seen within what may be denominated their proper domain, had probably
been produced and reared where we saw them. If, therefore, neither a want of special food,