53 



said to be ercct and straight, althougli properiy speaking they bend 

 forwardB and outvvards, and become suddenly incurved towards their 

 tips. These latter are rather acute, and the horns near them be- 

 come round; below they are laterally compressed, and are marked 

 by a series of from fifteen to twenty rings, extending from the base 

 to within six inches of the tip. On the lateral and dorsal surfaces 

 of the horn these rings are little elevated, and present a wavy rather 

 than a ridged appearance ; but on the frontai surface thėy exhibit a 

 succession of lieavy, large ridges, with furrows betvveen. 



Close to the outer margin of either nostril is a soft, fleshy, or ra- 

 ther skinny, tumour or tuft, about the size and shape of the half of 

 a domestic fovvl's egg. These tufts, the purpose of which Mr. 

 Hodgson has been unable to discover^ appear to be peculiar to the 

 Chiru. 



In its double covering the Chiru agrees with all the bairy animals 

 of Tibet; where not merely the goats and sheep, but the dogs, 

 horses, and kine, possess an under fleece of soft and fine wool. The 

 hair forming the external coat is about two inches long, and so 

 closely set as to present to the touch an impression of solidity; it 

 is straight, nearly erect, rather harsh, and feeble, being for the most 

 part hollow likę a quill. Grey blue is the general colour of the 

 hair throughout nine-tenths of its extent from root to tip, aš weil as 

 exclusively so of the wool beneath the hair. This radical and 

 prevalent colour is, however, but dimly seen through the external 

 or superficial hues with which it is overlaid ; hues vvhich on the 

 upper parts of tlie animal are fawn-red, and on its under surface 

 and the inside of its limbs are wliite. The shoulders are faintly 

 marked by a tracing of colour lighter than tbat of the surround- 

 ing parts. Down the front of all the legs runs a black line reaching 

 to the hoofs (^n the fore legs, but to the knees only on the hind 

 legs. The forehead is perfectly black, and a fringe of the šame 

 hue proceeding from the bottom of the frontai skin passes round 

 the outsides of the nasal tufts. These tufts, as well as the rim 

 surrounding them, are black ; as are also the bristles of the mouth 

 and lips ; the fevv hairs, however, which depend from the lower 

 lip are white. 



Some of the dimensions of thefully grown young malė from which 

 the preceding description was taken are as follow : Entire length, 

 4 feet 11 inches; length, minus tail, 4 feet 2^- inches j length, minus 

 head and tail, 3 feet 6+ inches ; beight at the shoulder, 2 feet 8 

 inches ; beight of the fore-leg, I foot 8 inches ; of the hinder leg, 

 1 foot 9 inches ; length of the horns, 2 feet -į- inch ; basai depth of 

 the horns, fore and aft, 2i inches, from side to side, H inch. 



The Chiru Antelope is highly gregarious, being usually found in 

 herds of several scores and even hundreds. It is extremely wild 

 and unapproachable by man, to avoid whom it relies chiefly on its 

 wariness and speed ; but though shy it is not timid, for if over- 

 taken it meets danger vvith a galiant bearing. The individual which 

 was kept alive at the Residency, though captured very young, was 

 perfectly fearless, and could only be approached with caution. It 



