Game Animals of India, etc. 



the species of the genus hitherto noticed. Neither is 

 the coloration less distinctive ; there being a distinct 

 black stripe running along the flanks to divide the fawn 

 of the back from the white of the belly, as well as 

 similar stripes down the front of all four legs, and a 

 dark streak down the face. 



In this latter respect, as well as in the absence of 

 face-glands, the bharal is indeed more like a goat than 

 an ordinary wild sheep, and it may consequently be 

 asked why the species is classed among the latter rather 

 than among the former animals, especially as the tail is 

 longer than in other Asiatic wild sheep. The bharal 

 lacks, however, the beard found in the males of all 

 species of goats, as well as the unpleasant odour of the 

 latter. Moreover, there are glands between the hoofs 

 in all the feet, whereas in goats such glands are absent 

 in the hind-limbs. Still the distinction between sheep 

 and goats is slight, and the bharal forms one of the 

 connecting links between the two groups. 



In size the bharal stands about 2^ inches at the 

 withers ; the build is rather heavy, the head long and 

 narrow, the ears short, and the coat, which is thick and 

 close, without a mane on the neck or a ruff on the 

 throat. The general colour of the hair on the rest of 

 the upper-parts is brownish grey with a tinge of slaty 

 blue, tending more to brown in summer and more to 

 slaty grey in winter ; but the under-parts, the inner 

 and hind surfaces of the legs, and the buttocks as far as 

 the root of the tail are white. In full-grown rams the 

 face and chest, a stripe running down the front of the 

 legs (interrupted by a white patch at the knees), a band 

 along the lower part of the flanks bordering the white 

 below, as well as the terminal two-thirds of the tail, are 

 black ; these black markings being wanting in ewes at 

 all ages. The horns are blackish olive. A full-grown 

 bharal weighs about one hundred and thirty pounds. 



The longest pair of bharal horns on record belongs to 

 Captain W. de L. Williams, and measures 32I- inches 



106 



