Game Animals of India, etc. 



the group in a less marked degree, and thus departs 

 less widely from the common ox. It has, for example, 

 the ridge on the withers much less developed, and 

 not terminating posteriorly in a distinct step ; while 

 the cows, and in the Burmese race the bulls also, are 

 reddish-fawn coloured. Perhaps the two most dis- 

 tinctive features of the species are the horny callous 

 shield on the vertex of the head between the bases of 

 the horns, and the large white patch on the buttocks, 

 which surrounds, although it does not include, the 

 root of the tail. Standing from about 5 feet to at 

 least 5 feet 9 inches in height at the withers, the bantin 

 is a rather lighter-built animal than the gaur, with a 

 less massive and more elongated form of head. The 

 dewlap is imperfectly developed, the well-tufted tail 

 descends somewhat below the level ot the hocks, and 

 the ears are proportionately smaller than in either the 

 gaur or the gayal. Compared with those of the former 

 animal, the horns of the bull bantin are comparatively 

 slender and more nearly cylindrical ; the only com- 

 pression being found at the base of those of fully 

 adult individuals. They are more or less rugged near 

 their origin from the heaci, but are smooth for the 

 remainder of their length. At first the direction of 

 their sweep is outwards and somewhat upwards, but 

 towards the tips they take an inward and slightly 

 backward curvature. In the dried skull their bases 

 are seen to flange out in a characteristic manner. In 

 cows and young bulls the general colour of the short 

 and sleek hair of the upper- parts is reddish brown, 

 approaching chestnut : the under-parts being much 

 lighter-coloured, sometimes even whitish or white, as 

 are the inner surfaces of the ears, the lips, the inner 

 side of the legs, and the rump-patch. The legs in 

 adult cows are white from above the knees and hocks 

 downwards to the hoofs ; although in calves their 

 outer sides are chestnut, like the body, a dark streak 

 also running down the middle of the back. Except in 



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