Himalayan Tahr 299 



Mr. Blanford records a maximum horn-length of i6{, inches, but the 

 following are some of the largest measurement? given in Mr. Rowland 

 Ward's book : — 



Length along Basal t,- , r^.- 



Front Curve. Circumference. '^ ' 



14 



13I 9 



53 



? 



13? 9 115 



i3f 8 61 



i3i 81 6f 



Distribution. — The forest districts of the middle Himalaya, from the 

 Pir-Panjal to Sikhim ; abundant in the lower Wardwan, Kistwar, and 

 Chamba districts, as it is in Gahrwal. Apparently unknown in the 

 Kajnag range, and not occurring in the ranges to the north ot the valley 

 of Kashmir, its limits in these districts being thus bounded to the north 

 and north-west by the valley of the Jhelam river. 



Habits. — In the Simla district the name of this species is tahr or tehr, 

 but in Kistwar it is known as kras, and in Kashmir as jagla. Although I 

 have hunted tahr in the valley of the Chinab, I have had but little oppor- 

 tunity of studying their habits in detail, and am therefore compelled to 

 quote from the writings of those who have been more favoured. Among 

 these accounts that of General A. A. Kinloch is one of the best : — " The 

 tahr," he writes, " is, like the markhor, a forest-loving animal, and although 

 it sometimes resorts to the rocky summits of the hills, it generally prefers 

 the steep slopes which are more or less clothed with trees. Female tahr 

 may frequently be found on open ground ; but old males hide a great deal 

 in the thickest jungle. Nearly perpendicular hills with dangerous preci- 

 pices, where the forest consists of oak and ringal cane, are the favourite 



