VARIETIES OF TAKIN 71 



unable to hunt them here, owing to the outbreak of 

 the revolution. I think it is not unreasonable to 

 suppose that this variety may be found to be inter- 

 mediate between tibetanus and bedfordi. 



6. Mr. R. Kingdon Ward tells me that he found 

 the skull and horns of a takin among the Lutzus, 

 a tribe living near the Salween River. They and 

 the Chiutsus, another tribe, speak of them as 

 *' yie-nu" i.e. v/ild cattle, and shoot them with 

 crossbows and poisoned arrows. 



That variety {Budorcas taxicohr) inhabithig the 

 Mishmi hills on the northern frontier of Assam 

 was discovered and described by Brian Hodgson in 

 1850. Mr. J. Claude White, C.IM.G., has rendered 

 many familiar with its appearance, for he sent the 

 first living specimen to reach Europe to the Zoo- 

 logical Society. It can be seen any day in the 

 gardens in Regent's Park. The Chinese takin, 

 however, differs considerably from the typical form 

 found in Assam. The prevailing colour of the 

 latter is blackish brown, the whole of the upper 

 side of the body being sprinkled with greyish 

 yellow. There is a dark spinal stripe. It was in 

 reference to the hght or greyish hue of the upper 

 side, correlated with the dark hue of the underside 

 and legs, that this specimen was named " taxi- 

 color " or " badger-coloured." I quote Mr. R. I. 

 Pocock : In Szechuan, the Assamese form is 

 replaced by a lighter one {Budorcas tibetanus), 

 described by Milne Edwards, which is mostly yellow 

 or gi'ey in colour, with a blackish muzzle, ears and 

 tail, a short dark spinal stripe and blackish or iron- 

 grey legs. The prevailing colour of the Shensi 

 takin, which again differs in coloration from the 



