APPENDIX C, 531 
gauri-gat. 
I also received a letter through the columns the 7e Aszan from “ Snap- 
shot,” vouching for the existence of the gay in the Darjeeling Terai. 
Another correspondent of 7e As‘an writes regarding the naming of this 
species :— 
“«Tn referring to Mr. Sterndale’s descriptions of the gaur and gayal, in your issues 
of the 28th March and 11th April, I trust that that gentleman will not be oftended 
by my making a few remarks on the subject, and that he will set me right if I am in 
the wrong. I see that he has perpetuated what appears to my unscientific self a 
mistake on the part of the old writers—Colebrooke, Buchanan, Trail, and others, 
who I fancy got confused, and mixed up the animals. The local name for the Central 
Indian ox is over a large tract of country the gayal, or gyll ; and this, being the animal 
with the peculiar frontal development, was most probably named bos, or Gaveus 
Jrontalis, whilst the mithun, or Eastern Bengal animal, was the gaur. It seems to 
me, therefore, that the names should be transposed. Will Mr. Sterndale consider 
this, if he has not already done so; and, if I am wrong, tell me why the animal with 
peculiar frontal development, and called the gayal locally, should not have been 
named /rontalis, whilst the animal called mithun, with nothing peculiar in his frontal 
development, is so called ? 
“Orissa, April 15¢h, 1882. ‘* CHAMPSE, 
‘©P.S.—Do any of the Eastern Bengal races call this mithun gayal?” 
I think Hodgson’s name L7bos cavifrons is a sufficient proof that Gaveus 
gaurus is applicable to the animal with the high frontal crest, which is the 
species inhabiting the Himalayan Terai, and is locally known as the gawr, 
or gauri-gaz. It is known as gaya/in some parts of India, but, where the 
people are familiar with the mthun, the gaur is called asl’gayal, from 
whence Horsfield’s name Azbos asseel. Probably the mzthun was called 
Srontalis, under ignorance of a species with a still greater frontal develop- 
ment. 
Gaveus frontalis interbrceds freely with domesticated cattle of all kinds. 
In the Society’s Gardens are several hybrids between this and Bos [ndicus, 
one of which hybrids again interbred with American bison (Lvsoz 
Americanus), the progeny being one-half bison, and one-quarter each 
frontalis and Indicus. 
