Game Animals of India, etc. 



the Malay Peninsula, and probably also of Cochin-China 

 and Siam. These cattle are unknown in any of the 

 Indo-Malay islands ; but there is a tradition that they 

 formerly existed in Ceylon, although if this were 

 really the case, it is probable they were introduced. 

 The north-western range of the species in India is 

 probably limited by the Rajpipla Hills, in the neighbour- 

 hood of Broach ; while to the west of the eightieth 

 parallel of latitude the northern limit is nearly coincident 

 with the line of the Narbada valley. Along the foot of 

 the Himalaya gaur are found in the forest-tracts as far 

 westward as Nepal ; while to the southward of the 

 Ganges valley they survive in many of the forests of 

 Chutia Nagpur, Orissa, the Northern Circars, the 

 Central Provinces, Hyderabad, Mysore, and the Western 

 Ghats, although from some districts they have already 

 disappeared, and are becoming scarcer in others. 



The fact that cows and young bulls inhabiting dry 

 and open districts are less darkly coloured than those 

 from dense and damp forests is an example of a 

 common feature among animals. 



In spite of its bulk and heavy build, the gaur is 

 very active in getting over rocky country (which is the 

 ordinary resort of the species) ; and the manner in 

 which a herd will make their way up an impossible- 

 looking hill-side is little short of marvellous. Although, 

 as already said, generally found on forest-clad hills, 

 gaur are sometimes to be met with on the plains ; and 

 in Mysore and the Wynad district they frequent rocky 

 hills whose flattened, open summits afford excellent 

 grazing-grounds, the herds ascending to elevations of 

 from 2500 to 6000 feet above sea-level. 



In the Narbada district the habits and shikar of 

 gaur have been admirably described by Captain Forsyth 

 in his Highlands of Central India^ while Mr. G. P. 

 Sanderson, in Thirteen Tears among the Wild Beasts of 

 India^ has done the same for the Mysore country. 

 Gaur are seldom seen in herds exceeding twenty head, 



58 



