58 OVIDJE. 



Var. burrJiel, Gray, 7. c. p. 178. 

 Hab, Barinda Pass. 



" Ovis nahoor, Hodgson (0. hurrhel, Blyth ?) ; the Burrhcl or Bha- 

 ral of English sportsmen ; Nahoor of Nepal. I confess I am not 

 able at present to appreciate thoroughly the differences between 

 the 0. nahoor and the 0. hurrhel as insisted on by Mr. Blyth. 

 There are not sufficient specimens of the whole animal at present 

 accessible to enable one to express a decided opinion on the subject. 

 But. comparing the horns of 0. nahoor in the British Museum, sent 

 by Mr. Hodgson from Nepal, with those of the only example of the 

 Burrhcl in the same collection (being the specimen noticed by Mr. 

 Ogilby in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1838, p. 79, as obtained by Lieut. Thomas 

 Smith, near the Barinda Pass, and referred to as belonging to this 

 species by Mr. Blyth himself (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1840, p. 6S), I can see 

 but slight grounds for distinction, as far as the horns go. The spe- 

 cimen in question is certainly coloured in an extraordinary way, 

 being of a ' dark and rich chestnut brown.' The ordinary Burrhel 

 {Ovis nahoor), as may be seen by the fine skins of both sexes of this 

 species, obtained by Capt. Townely Parker, now before us, is of a 

 light brownish ash-colour, white below, with the breast-mark, a 

 stripe on each side, and a stripe down the front of each leg, dark 

 chestnut. According to ' Mountaineer,' who has given an excel- 

 lent account of the Burrhel and its habits in the ' India Sporting 

 Review' (vol. vi. p. 152), these chestnut markings become black in 

 folly adult males, and are ' most observable immediately after the 

 animal changes his coat, which happens in July.' With reference to 

 the Oi'ls hurrhel of Mr. Blyth, ' of a dark mahogany colour,' the same 

 experienced observer remarks, ' Amongst some hundi'eds I have 

 killed and many thousands I have seen in my excursions I have 

 never met with but one variety.' This he describes nearly in the 

 same terms as I have mentioned above. 



" The horns of the Ovh Polii of Central Asia arc sometimes brought 

 to this country from the Himalayas ; but there is no reason to be- 

 lieve that this animal occurs nearer to India than the plateau of 

 VcimiT."—Schter, P. Z. S. 1860. 



4. AMMOTRAGUS. 



Tail rather elongate, tufted at the end. Forehead concave. Chin 

 covered with short hair, with longer hair on neck and legs. (Gray, 

 Cat. Ungul. B. M. p. 179.) 



1. Ainmotragus tragelaphns. B.M. 



Amniotragus tragelaphus, Grai/, Cat. Uuf/td. B, M. p. 179, t. 22. 

 f. 2, 3 (skull ). 



Uah. North Africa. 



