148 A NATURALIST IN WESTERN CHINA 



into making wild rushes, and they are fierce and dangerous 

 when at bay. They have been known to kill the dog hunting 

 them and badly wound the hunters themselves. In steep, 

 difficult country an animal driven to charge by fear is 

 extremely dangerous owing to the precarious foothold 

 obtainable. 



Around Wa shan the White-maned Serow {Capricornis 

 argyrochcetes) is the common species ; around Tachienlu 

 Milne-Edwards' Serow (C. milne-edwardsi) is the common 

 animal found. In the Upper Min Valley and around Lungan 

 Fu both species occupy the same regions, and this is probably 

 true for western Szechuan generally with one or other species 

 more common in certain districts. 



A female of the White-maned Serow shot in May 1908 

 near Wa shan by Mr. Zappey gave the following measure- 

 ments : length , 66Jg inches; tail, 4f inches ; height at shoulder, 

 35^ inches. Colour : mane, light brownish ; body and legs 

 darker and brighter than in Milne-Edwards' species {infra). 



Zappey 's experience was that the male and female kept 

 together. He shot a female in the later afternoon ; the dogs 

 remaining at the foot of the cliff all night kept the male in a 

 place from whence it could not escape, and Zappey returned 

 at daylight and shot it. 



A male of Milne-Edwards' Serow, which Zappey secured 

 near Tachienlu, measured as follows : length, 66|^ inches ; 

 tail, 41 inches ; height at shoulder, 39 inches ; horns, 8|- inches 

 long. Colour : mane, whitish, 10 inches long ; back of rump, 

 fore-legs to just above the knee, and hind-legs to half-way up the 

 thigh, chestnut ; back and sides, dark iron-grey ; belly, dark 

 grey. 



The flesh of the Serow is dark coloured, tough, of poor 

 flavour, and the least desirable meat I have tasted. 



On the high mountains of north-western Hupeh, forming 

 the Han-Yangtsze water-shed, a Serow occurs sparingly, and is 

 called " Ming-tsen Yang." The characters denoting this name 

 were interpreted by a Chinese gentleman as meaning " Clear- 

 maned Goat." This is a very appropriate name for the 

 White-maned Serow (C. argyrochates), though it is possibly a 

 distinct animal. Neither Zappey nor myself succeeded in 



