. The game animals of Africa . wasemployed, it was distinguished as the white-tailed gnu. Althoughsuch prefixes may be useful when the two species are under discussion,it should always be remembered that the present animal is the gnu orwildebeest/rt:r excellence ; just as the English fox and badger are properly GNU 131 the only representatives of their respective names, and thus require noprefix to their titles. Standing, in the case of the bulls, about 46 inches, or sometimesperhaps rather more, at the shoulder, the gnu is characterised by thehorns being greatly expanded in the vertical direc
. The game animals of Africa . wasemployed, it was distinguished as the white-tailed gnu. Althoughsuch prefixes may be useful when the two species are under discussion,it should always be remembered that the present animal is the gnu orwildebeest/rt:r excellence ; just as the English fox and badger are properly GNU 131 the only representatives of their respective names, and thus require noprefix to their titles. Standing, in the case of the bulls, about 46 inches, or sometimesperhaps rather more, at the shoulder, the gnu is characterised by thehorns being greatly expanded in the vertical direction at their bases,which are nearly in contact, and curving at first downwards andoutwards, and then bending suddenly upwards, with a backward andinward inclination at the tips. The long hairs of the tail are yellowishwhite ; the mane is upright; there is a crest of long bristles in themiddle of the lower part of the face, smaller tufts being situated belowthe eyes ; the under surface of the lower jaw carries a fringe of long. Fig. 35.—Gnus in Mr. Rudds park at Fernwood, Newlands, near Cape Town. hair, and there is a fringe of still longer hair on the lower part of thechest and between the forelegs. With the exception that there issome white at the root, the long hair on the jaw and mane is general colour is deep umber-brown, passing into black on theface. The ears are pointed and of moderate length, and in life theeyes present a peculiarly wild and wicked appearance. The recordhorn-length is 30-g^ inches, this being closely followed by a pair of30 inches. The cows are much inferior in size to the bulls, with the hornsmore slender and less expanded at their bases. Calves carry a longshaggy fawn-coloured coat, with a line of black on the hind part ofthe neck. 132 ANTELOPES In former days the gnu appears to have ranged over the karoos,or open plains, of Cape Colony as far east as the Kei river, whence itextended northwards as far as the Vaal or northern branch of the
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