The Yak 



ox ; and so far as the domesticated breeds (from which 

 the original description was taken) are concerned, the 

 attribute in question is distinctive of the species. It 

 appears, however, that the "grunting" is confined to 

 these domesticated breeds ; and it has, therefore, been 

 proposed to regard the latter as a distinct species, 



Fig. g. — Parti-coloured and White Domesticated Yak at Wobiirn Abbey, from a 

 photograph by the Duchess of Bedford. 



under the name of mutus. This seems an unnecessary 

 refinement, and the most that would be justifiable in 

 this direction would be to designate the wild race as 

 Bos grunniens mutus. ; it is true that such a combina- 

 tion of names would involve a contradiction, but 

 such inconsistencies are not regarded as important by 

 naturalists. 



Structurally the yak appears to be closely allied to 

 the bisons, of which group it may be regarded as an 



11 



