SPORT IN WESTERN CHINA 157 



an ingenious gun device. It is also captured by cunningly 

 arranged foot-snares. 



The Takin retires during the daytime into thickets, and 

 feeds during the early morning and late evening in the open 

 country above. On misty, foggy days they may feed in the 

 open all day long. During August and early September, 

 at any rate, cows and young bulls are found severally together 

 in the more open country high up, where there is good pasturage 

 in close proximity to thick cover. Old buUs are solitary and 

 wander considerably. The rutting season is around the end 

 of July, and the calves are born in the March following. 



The natives regard this animal with considerable awe and 

 dread, affirming it is both fierce and revengeful. Near where 

 Zappey shot his cow a hunter had been killed only a few weeks 

 previously. Doubtless this animal, when wounded, is a nasty 

 customer at close quarters, especially to anyone armed with 

 nothing more effective than a native gun and spear. A 

 foreigner armed with a modern rifle of high velocity, and exer- 

 cising a moderate amount of caution, has nothing to fear. 

 Accompanied by a native hunter, Zappey shot and killed two 

 calves, and the mother immediately made off through the 

 bamboo jungle, and did not attempt to attack the hunters. 

 These calves were secured in the neighbourhood of Wa shan on 

 27th May, and according to the natives were about two months 

 old. The legs were soot-black ; ridge down centre of back, 

 black ; sides, brown ; under-parts, black with long whitish hairs 

 interspersed ; pelage, woolly. Both were male and, in size, 

 nearly equal, measuring : length, 38f inches ; tail, 3 inches ; 

 height at shoulder, 22 1 inches ; no vestige of horns was dis- 

 cernible. 



The adult Takin is a rather awkward-looking, clumsily 

 built animal, strong and powerful, weighing 5 to 6 cwt., or 

 more. None of the animals shot by the sportsmen mentioned 

 above was weighed. The cow killed by Zappey fell in a bad 

 place, and six men could not turn her over, but only roll the 

 carcase from side to side. The skinning under the difficulties 

 took six hours. This animal gave the following measurements : 

 total length, 8o| inches ; tail, 6f inches ; heel, i6|^ inches ; 

 height at shoulder, 42J inches ; height at hip, 39! inches. The 



