NOTE ON IBEX. 



two species being so vastly different in this respect. Oapra sibirica. 

 has a square horn, the front broader than the back, and strongly 

 marked with transverse ridges at intervals of less than an inch. 

 0. tegagrus has an oval or compressed elliptic section, flatter on 

 the inner side and with a sharp keel or longitudinal ridge in front, 

 which ridge has irregular knobs at considerable distances. In the 

 horns under notice the section resembles that of sibirica, flat in front 

 and at the sides, slightly rounded beneath. In texture and colour 

 resembling the Markhor horn, being much darker than the ordinary 

 Ibex. Instead of the decided ridges of C. sibirica there are 

 rugosities or folds at the following distances : — 



Right horn.. ..2ft", 2ft", 3ft", 4", 5^ 5f 6 *. 

 Left horn 2ft, 3ft, 2ft, 4ft, 5,4, 5ft, 



the rest of the horn is more decidedly and closely knobbed, with 

 fine rings at the tips. 



At the base the section measures about 3h" from front to back , 

 and about 2§" across. 



As regards the skull, which in my specimen is damaged in the 

 occipital region, it is somewhat slighter than that of a head of 

 C. sibirica with 40-inch horns, but until we get more specimens to 

 work upon, it is useless to dwell on skull characteristics in this paper. 

 Colonel Kinloch, in a letter to the Asian, seems to think that this 

 is an abnormality of sport, from an abnormal specimen killed by 

 him, but from what I gather I am inclined to believe that my 

 skull is of a distinct species or variety from the hills north of the 

 Kishengunga river. Mons. Dauvergne wrote to me in August 

 last that he came across a similar head two years ago, freshly 

 killed, horns measuring 42 inches, widely divergent like mine, 

 with the same characteristics of smoothness and section. I hope 

 to see this head some day as it has been traced. In a recent letter, 

 dated 13th December, he says: "Another horn of the same tribe has 

 been purchased by Sir Oliver St. John ; that is the third I know of 

 and those skin men tell me they have seen them often, but that they 

 are not numerous." Their habitat is as yet uncertain, but with such 

 an enthusiastic and experienced sportsman as Mons. Dauvergne on 

 the scent, I do not despair of deciding this question. He thinks 

 they may come from the range of hills north of the Kishengunga 

 river or the Khagan country west of Kashmir. From enquiries I 

 have made there are no similar horns in the British. Museum or in the- 



