296 Tahr 



Museum, Calcutta, which appear to have belonged to immature individuals 

 most nearly related to the Cabul race. 



Distribution. — The Potwar, and probably other districts of the Punjab. 



V. The Tahr — Genus Hemitragus 



Hc/nitragits, Hodgson, 'Joiirn. As. Soc. Bengal., no\. x. p. 913 (1841) ; 

 Gray, Cat. Ungiilata Brit. Mas. p. 144 (1852), Cat. Ruminants Brit. Mus. 

 p. 51 (1872) ; Blanford, Fauna Brit. Imi. — Mamm. p. 508 (1891). 



Kcmas., Gray, Cat. Ungu/ata Brit. Mus. p. 146 (1852), ncc Ogilby 1836. 



Characters. — Nearly allied to Capra, but the males without a beard, and 

 the horns, which are placed close together at the base, comparatively short, 

 not greatly exceeding the head in length, and those of the females not very 

 much smaller than those of the males. A small naked area on the 

 extremity of muzzle. Males odoriferous. No glands on the face, in the 

 groin, or between the hoofs. Females with either two or four teats. The 

 horns, which rise from the skull in the same plane as the forehead, curve 

 backward, and are angulated in front and compressed. The skull is 

 characterised by its long and narrow form and the slight prominence of the 

 rims of the sockets of the eyes ; the plane of the occiput being Hat and 

 meeting that of the forehead at a right angle, or somev\^hat less. Horns 

 always black. 



Distribution. — The Himalaya, the Nilgiri, Anamalai, and some of the 

 other ranges of Southern India, and the mountains of South-Eastern Arabia ; 

 in the outer Himalaya dating from the Pliocene epoch. The distribution 

 of this genus is decidedly remarkable. Its earliest known occurrence is in 

 Northern India ; and in former times it would appear to have existed at or 

 near the sea-level, at an epoch when there was a freer land communication 

 with Arabia than is at present the case. With an increase in temperature, 

 one species would appear to have taken refuge in the Himalaya, a second 



