()fsome districts in India. 319 



derived from Mr Breton's observations, we give his descrip- 

 tion in bis own words. 



" A male Gaour killed on Myn Paut in Surgoojah on the 

 29th January 1816, was measured in my presence by Captain 

 J. N. Jackson, and its dimensions were : — 



Feet. Inchee. 



Height from the hoof to the withers, . . 5 11| 

 Length between the withers and the lower part of 



the chest, . . . . . . 3 6| 



Girth, . . ' . . . . . 7 7 



Length from the tip of the nose to the extremity 



of the tail, 11 1 J 



" The form of the bead and horns approaches very nearly to 

 that of an English bull, and short tufts of dirty white curled 

 hair cover the upper part of the forehead. The colour of the 

 hairs of the skin on the body is dark brown ; but owing to the 

 fineness and density of the coat, it assumes in the sun's rays a 

 jet black colour, which gives to the animal, from its being sleek 

 and generally in high condition, a very handsome appearance. 

 The legs, from the knee and hock to the hoofs, are covered 

 with dirty white coloured hair, much coarser than that of the 

 body. Its legs are large and well proportioned, combining ap- 

 parently strength and elasticity. The animal is very muscular, 

 and has great width of chest and quarters ; and its legs being 

 short in proportion to the magnitude of its body, there is an ap- 

 pearance of immense strength. But what characterizes this 

 animal from others of the bovine species, is a thick and elevat- 

 ed spinous ridge, which extends in the form of an arch from 

 the end of the cervical vertebrae, to half way down the dorsal 

 vertebrae, the elevation over the shoulders being near seven 

 inches above the line of the spine, where this ridge gradually 

 terminates. At a distance, this ridge has somewhat the ap- 

 pearance of the hump on bullocks ; but instead of flesh it is 

 formed of the spinous processes. 



" The Gaour is gregarious, anid in defence of its young is 

 considered one of the fiercest animals that inhabit the jungles. 

 I once saw in the valley of Myn Paut a herd of Gaours with 

 their young. I counted upwards of fifty ; but as the herd was 

 in motion, I might have erred in my calculation. On Myn 



