Page 107

27f 72-2

1,776; January. their whole length; when proceeding farther on to two thirds of their whole length, they lean a little inwards or towards each other, at the fame time making a bend backwards ; fo that the uppermoft or laft divifion, which is fmooth and even, goes backwards very nearly in a horizontal diredtion, yet fo that the tips turn a little downwards. Thefe horns from their bafes upwards, as far as to two thirds of their length, are emboffed in the form of rings, which are about eighteen in number, and near the bafes of the horns are not elevated more than half a line or a line above the furface beneath; but higher up, or near and upon the curvatures of the horns, thefe rings are not only much larger, viz. from a quarter to half an inch, but likewife feem to be more irregular, fome of them forming knobs, while others take a fpiral turn. All thefe rings or elevations are fmooth in other refpedts, but between them there is a number o f longitudinal furrows. The predominant colour in the hartbeeft is cinnamon colour, but the forehead is covered with black hairs, which, with a fmall admixture o f brown, lie in a whirl. Two inches below this begins an oblong black fpot, which extends quite down to the noftrils; the lower lip alfo, and the fore part of the ihoulders are covered with black hairs, as are likewife the anterior part of the fore legs quite down to the hoofs, thefe black hairs being at the fame time carried round them, and rifing behind up to the fetlock-joints. This black colour is difperfed nearly in the fame manner on the fore parts o f the hind legs, and between the fetlock joints and the hoofs behind. A good deal of the hindmoft part o f the haunch is covered with a wide black ftreak, ftreak, which reaches down to the knee, as may be feen in the figure annexed. There are two narrow ftripes, which take their rife one behind each ear, and afterwards run together all along the ridge o f the neck. From hence a dark brown oval fpot extends over the whole ridge of the back, terminating with its broader and obtufer end juft above the tail, which is ilender, and, at the firft glance, has the appearance of an afs’s tail. The hairs of this begin high up, being black, and nearly of the nature of briftles, and rather pointing outwards than hanging down; the outermoft, which are the longeft, being fcarcely fix inches long. The upper and hind parts of the haunches are of a pale yellow: colour, as- well as the anterior and upper edge o f them, the infide o f them, and the belly. The pofterior parts of the fore legs are likewife o f a fomewhat lighter hue than the cinnamon colour above-mentioned, which covers every other part of the animal. There is a pore one line in diameter, an inch or an inch and a half below and before the internal angle of the eye. From this pore, which is the aperture of a caruncle that lies below, there is fecreted a matter almoft like ear-wax, which I obferved my Hottentots kept in a piece o f ikin, as a rare and excellent medicine; on the dried ikin of the animal, this pore is fcarcely to be difcerned. This, perhaps, is the reafon, that fo great and accurate a zoologift as M. P a l l a s makes no mention o f this pore, as he made his de- fcriptions chiefly from the dried fkins of this animal; and as to the live hartbeeft which he faw, he could not fo eafily come at it, fo as to take notice of its pore. The rudiments of a beard or whiikers, mentioned by M. P a l l a s as being V o l . II. D d . on


27f 72-2
To see the actual publication please follow the link above