19 
NOTES ON THE RACES OF SEROW, OR 
GOAT-ANTELOPE, FOUND IN SIAM. 
ES Eee 
BY A. J. IRWIN. 
: At the Meeting in June last the skin of a very fine specimen of 
the Serow or Goat-Antelops was exhibited, which had been shot at 
Koh Hlak-by .Mr. Butler, and I neticed then that the colouration 
differed somewhat from that of other specimens I had seen. I hal 
previously been of the opinion that more species or sub-:pecies than on> 
of this animal are to be found in Siam, and I am now sure that this is 
so. As the matter is of considerable interest, | have prepared the 
following notes in the hope. that they may be of use in identifying 
these species or sub-species. 
3riefly, it may be stated that the Serows belong to a group of 
ruminants including the Serows, Gorals and Takins, which inhabit 
the hilly and mountainous districts of northern and eastern Asia, and 
are popularly known as the Goat-Antelopes. The two latter genera do 
not concern this paper, but it may be mentioned that the Serows 
differ frem the Gorals, their nearest relations, in their larger size, 
their greater length of limb but shorter tail, and in the presence of a 
special gland on the face, in front of the eye. This gland, although 
not very noticeable on the outside, is sufficiently large to form a deep 
impression on the bone beneath, and can be readily distinguished in 
the skull of any Serow, just in front of the orbit. The ears are long, 
the body covered with sparse, coarse hairs, almost amounting to 
bristles, and there may or may not be a wild bristly-looking mane. 
In colouration the Serow is very variable and it is owing to this 
fact, and to the lack of a sufficient number of specimens for examina- 
tion, that confusion has arisen between the various authorities who 
have attempted to describe the animal. The latest authority to 
write upon this subject is Mr. R. IL. Pocock, Superintendent of the 
Loolcgical Gardens in London, who has described * no less than 8 
* Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, Vol. NIX, No. 4 
and Vol. XXIT, No. 2. 
