The Burmese Bantin, or Tsaine 



Tsaine Nyo ot the Burmans ; sometimes this variety 

 is spoken of as Tsaine Mwe. (c) Dark-faced bulls 

 with red bodies, Tsaine Ni of the Burmans. I have 

 shot bulls of all three varieties, and the differences are 

 well marked, especially so in the case of the tsaine nyo, 

 which, except in shape and in the position of the white 

 markings, might be another species altogether. 



All three varieties inhabit the same kind of jungle 

 and may be found in the same forest, but I have never 

 seen herds containing two of the above varieties in the 

 same herd. All herds I have seen have consisted of 

 inciividuals of one variety only. 



Since all these varieties occur in the same area they 

 cannot be regarded as local races, although the alleged 

 differences in the colour of the different herds is 

 remarkable. 



In all parts of their habitat bantin frequent less hilly 

 ground than gaur, and are more often found in grass- 

 jungles, or grass-jungles with scattered trees, than in 

 thick forest. 



The following- notes on the habits of the Burmese 

 bantin are abbreviated from Mr. Bruce's account. 

 During the hot weather these animals wander about 

 the plains of engdain forest, consisting mainly of the 

 in- tree {Dipterocarpus tuber culatus). This tree is 

 gregarious and usually has an undergrowth of coarse 

 grass, thekai {Imperata cylindricd)^ or "kain" {Saccharum 

 sp.). All engdain forests are broken up by open 

 expanses devoid of tree -growth, but covered with 

 thekai grass. Such places are known to the Burmese 

 as kwins ; depressions between plateaux in the engdain 

 devoid of tree-growth also occur. These are usually 

 covered with kain grass. In April the grass, as a rule, 

 gets burnt off by forest-fires, and it is to eat the tender 

 young shoots of the new growth of the two varieties of 

 grasses that the tsaine frequent the plains, though they 

 are also found in these places at other times of the year, 

 particularly in the cold weather. They also eat leaves, 



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