Ann Griggs, age 14, of Tinstan‑Salem, N.C.,

To what family does the gnu belong?

The gnu is a very odd looking animal. You might mistake him for a mule wearing a buffalo head. His cloven feet might belong to a stag. Indeed, ho does belong to the deer clan. And, of all things, h© is classed with the graceful gazelle.

Mr. Gnu, pronounced noo, is also called the wildebeest and, for all his clumsy appearance, he is a very fast runner. He has to be, for he must outrun his hungry enemies. He dwells in the lion country of Africa.

Several varieties of gnu roam the African plains. They are the black gnu, the blue gnu and the brindled gnu. Together they are classed in the genus Connoehaetes ‑ the boarded‑monad ones. And the Connochaetes genus is a division of Gazelle, the antelope family.