SPORT IN WESTERN CHINA 159 



taxicolor, var. tibetanus, by the late Prof. A. Milne-Edwards 

 {Recherches pour servir a I'Histoire naturelle des Mammiferes, 

 1874, p. 367, plates Ixxiv. and Ixxix.). Since then two other 

 names have been applied to this same animal. In the Pro- 

 ceedings of the Zoological Society (pp. 795-802, with plate), 

 published April 1909, Mr. R. Lydekker considers it a 

 species distinct from the Mishmi Takin, and named it B. 

 tibetanus. This seems the most expedient thing to do, but it is 

 imfortunate that the laws of priority necessitate the keeping 

 up of the name " tibetanus," which is a misnomer, in preference 

 to the name " sinensis," which is both accurate and descriptive 

 from a geographical standpoint. The natives everywhere in 

 Western China designate this animal " Yeh Niu " ; this may be 

 translated "Wild Cattle," though "Wild Cow" or "Wild 

 Ox " is an equally correct rendering. Old, solitary buUs 

 are occasionally spoken of as " Ta Yeh Niu," " Large (Great) 

 Wild Ox." Baber {Royal Geographical Society, Supplementary 

 Papers, vol. i. p. 39) calls it " Ngai Niu," " Hill (Cliff) Cattle," 

 but has evidently confused it with the Serow, his account 

 unconsciously covering both animals. The people around 

 Wa shan (where Baber collected his information) seem to 

 confuse these animals strangely. In 1904 they insisted to 

 me that the Takin was called "Pan-(or Pngai)-yang " (see 

 article in Field, loc. cit.), a name which properly belongs to the 

 Bharal, an animal not found anywhere around that immediate 

 neighbourhood. Experience teaches one to be very cautious 

 in accepting vernacular names, most of them at best are purely 

 local in application, and the natives will readily invent a name 

 to satisfy an inquisitive foreigner. 



I have written at length partly on account of the great 

 interest which attaches itself to this remarkable animal and 

 partly in the endeavour to correct certain erroneous state- 

 ments and misrepresentations which have appeared in refer- 

 ence to the Chinese Takin. 



GOA (THIBETAN GAZELLE) 



The Thibetan Gazelle {Gazella picticaudata) gets as far east 

 as Tachienlu. Indeed, its eastern limit may be put down as the 



