79 



July lOth, 1838. 

 Wm. Ogilby, Esq., in the Chair. 



A letter dated Tymaen Pyle, Glamorganshire, May 14th, 1838, 

 was read, addressed to the Secretary by J. E. Bicheno, Esq., accom- 

 panying a donation to the Museum of a skin of the Burrhai Sheep 

 from the Himalaya Mountains. The animal being quite new to the 

 coUection had been set up by Mr. Gould, and \vas placed in the room 

 for exhibition. Mr. Bicheno w'rites as follows : 



" I found the accompanying skin in the possession of a neigh- 

 bouring gentleman, Avho left India lašt year ; and as I a^jprehend it 

 to belong to a rare animal, and hardly known in this countr}% I 

 have, with his permission, sent it to the Museum of the Zoological 

 Society. It is not possible for me, at this distance from authorities, 

 to make it out satisfactorily, but it seems very near to the Asiatic 

 Argai (Oufs Ar galo), if not identical; if so, however, it varies in many 

 particulars from the descriptions given of that species. 



" It was killed, June Ist, 1836, byThos. Smith, Esq., 15thNative 

 Infantry ; known in India as one of the most intrepid sportsmen 

 and best shots in the country. He met with it in the Great Sno-\vy 

 Range close to the Barinda Pass, commnnicating with Chinese Tar- 

 tary, near also to the famous peak called Jaurnootrie, under which 

 rises the river Tamna. He estimates the height at which he found 

 the animal to have been from 15,000 to 17,000 feet : Humboldt, 

 he thinks, caUs the Berinda Pass 18,000 feet liigli. 



" The hill-men call it Burrhai, and considered this specimen to 

 have been seven years old by the horns. The cry was that of a tame 

 sheep. It was exceedingly shy, and no animal in Mr. Smith's opi- 

 nion is so difficult of api:)roach. During his expedition in pursuit of 

 the Burrhai he killed also the Thaar, -vvhich he took to be a species of 

 Goat, and the ' Sero\v,' an Antelope, which Mr. Hodgson has de- 

 scribed in the Journal of the Asiatic Society, No. 45, for Sept. 1835. 

 The Thaar is also described in the šame paper, and is regarded by 

 him to be an Antelope. Mr. Hodgson suspects the Burrhai to be his 

 Ovis Nahoor, but I have no opportunity of consulting the Avork." 



An extract, forvvarded by Mr. Bicheno, copied from the journal of 

 Lieut. Thomas Smith, was also read, in which, after describing the 

 great difficulty he found in reaching the district frequented by the 

 Burrhai, he proceeds : 



" I Avas at lašt repaid by seeing nine of them at about600 yards, 

 and they saw us. I attempted to get near ; but no ! they are Avith- 

 out exception the most difficult animals in the \vorld to get near ; and 

 the air being so rarified I could hardly breathe, my Paharrees con- 

 stantly falling and declaring they would die, and begging me to re- 

 turn. 



No. LXVII. — Proceedings of the Zoological Societt. 



