192 WILD MI-I-: IN CHINA. 



daintil}' curved goat-like horns, the Safyoo or Biirhel, with 

 horns that spread out hefore the\' recurve; also one of the 

 Tihetan antelope with a head reminding one of some of those 

 African antelopes, forming a beautiful curvingV over the head 

 of the bearer. We learn, moreover, that there are still to be 

 found herds of wild yak. amongst which at times there are 

 immense bulls. The Tibetan sportsman is another modern 

 survival of the ancient Mongol race when at its best. He is 

 essentially a man of the mountains, accustomed to breathe 

 a rarified atmosphere at or below zero. His sight is equal 

 to that of the wild Indian or the South African hunter. He 

 is all muscle, what there is of him, except such parts as are 

 composed of fine strong bone. Not an ounce of superfluous 

 flesh is to be found on him. Indeed it would probably be 

 impossible to find adipose tissue anywhere in Tibet, except 

 perhaps within the holy precincts of the richest lamaseries. 

 One does not generally turn to Blue-books for details 

 of sport, but there is so little that is authentic known of the 

 inner life of Tibet that I have been glad to ransack the Blue- 

 book dealing with Tibetan matters which was published in 

 1904. Therein, in the diary kept by Capt. \V. F. O'Connor, 

 who was on duty with the Younghusband mission, we find 

 several refereiices to wild life, and to game shot by natural- 

 ists and others. Amongst the animals mentioned are the 

 wolf, the lynx, the Goa, above referred to, burhel, the kj'ang. 

 or wild ass, the Ovis amnion, a magnificent wild sheep, 

 hares, partridges, lammergeier Brahmini ducks, etc. To 

 some of these it will be necessary to return in later chap- 

 ters, as also to the whole subject of falconry to which in 

 times gone by the Mongol races devoted much attention 



