ZOOLOGICAL NOTES. 223 



Her eldest daughter (Purry) had lately five kittens,[of .which one was jet 

 black and two others partly so ; but it is only recently that this colour has begun 

 to shew itself : of some thirty or forty preceding kittens, only two had a few 

 black patches — now blackies are getting common. 



I forgot to state that Joey's markings are perfectly symmetrical, each 

 side being alike. As you hold him up with his back towards you, the 

 pattern runs off on each side from the central stripes as evenly as if they 

 had been marked off with compasses, which is characteristic of the feraa. 



R.A. S. 



SOME NOTES ON ABNORMALITIES IN THE HORNS OF 



RUMINANTS. 

 By Mr. J. D. Inverarity. 



The most curious instance of abnormal horns I^have, met with was an old 

 stag samber I shot some years ago near the Taptee. .His right horn was 36 

 inches long and nothing peculiar about it. The left horn was a few inches 

 shorter, and Lad no brow antler at all nor the slightest rudiment of one. About 

 three-quarters of an inch from the left horn was a third horn, a mere knot but 

 growing on a separate bony pedicle of its own. It was entirely distinct* from 

 the main horn, the skin covering the intervening space. No] sign of disease or 

 injury to any of the organs. 



Single Samber Horn (Sketch No. 1). — A very massive heavy horn. Either 

 shed or killed by tiger. I thiiik the latter. The horn had the appea;ance of 

 having dripped overall round the burr and hung down in what, for a better 

 term, I will describe as numerous icicles. This horn, for mouths after I picked 

 it up, sw< ated some oily matter of a most offensive odour. 



Four-horned Antelope. — The bony core curves inwaids of one horr. Had 

 anterior horns, but I have lost them. 



Wild Cow-buffalo. — R : ght horn norma', about 3 feet long ; left hoin 

 not more tl an 18 inches long, probably less, growing almost stiaight down 

 close to the check and turning backwards. I was close to her for several minutes 

 and observed it wel 1 , but did not fire at her. The misshaped horn appeared 

 much thinner and smoother than the other one. The end was blunt. 



There is a curious malformed cow-biscn's head in the Madias Museum of 

 which you might get a sketch. 



I have in my possession in Siotland a small samber head the left horn of 

 which bends dowD, forming a club close to the skull just like the horn of the 

 Cashmere stag pictured No. 2. This club shape is the natuial shape of deer's 

 horns while growing. Any one who has seen stags while their horns are grow- 

 ing, before they have reached the point where the upper tines bianch out will 

 corroborate me that the top of the horn is then club-shaped. The Cashmere 

 stag No. 2 and the small bead I am speaking of have bal their growth 

 arrested at this stage. 



Doe Chinkara. — I have never shot one, but I think their horns are frequently 

 misshapen. One I have a note of had one horn bent forward and the other 

 backwards, but having omitted to take a drawing of it my note is not 

 sufficiently full to enable me to give a more accurate description. 



