Game Animals of India, etc. 



it appears to extend northwards into Hazara and Chilas 

 and then towards Gilgit ; but the markhor of Gilgit 

 may be a distinct race. The longest markhor horns on 

 record are a pair picked up on the Pir Panjal or Kaj- 

 nag range, the length being 62 inches ; other specimens 

 from the same ranges respectively measure 59 and 

 ^6^ inches, while a pair trom Gilgit reaches 58^ inches. 



By the Pir Panjal shikaris it is only to the old 

 bucks that the name markhor is assigned, the younger 

 bucks being termed rind, and the does bakri (she-goat). 

 In both the Pir Panjal and the Kaj-nag ranges this goat 

 is an inhabitant of the dense forests of pine and birch 

 clothing the scarped hillsides ; its feeding-grounds being 

 formed by the intervening grassy glades. Although 

 generally difficult to find, the old bucks are almost sure 

 to show themselves at the first gleam of sunshine after 

 one of the storms which at certain seasons rage on these 

 mountains. The late summer is the season when the 

 old bucks keep most to dense covert. In former days 

 markhor-shooting was one of the finest of Kashmir 

 sports, but the numbers of old bucks with fine horns 

 have been much reciuced in recent years. A favourite 

 starting-point to the ground is the nala joining the 

 Jhelam valley at its bend below Naushahra. 



The horns represented in fig. 19 differ to a certain 

 extent from those of the typical Pir Panjal markhor, 

 and perhaps indicate a distinct race. In regard to 

 these horns Mr. Hume communicated the following 

 note : — " The horns of this form, hitherto never seen 

 on the entire skull, but usually on the frontal bone 

 only, are brought down occasionally to Peshawar from 

 Cabul, and again find their way sometimes into the 

 Srinagar bazaar. They come from the west, and from 

 a long way off, and that is all that can usually be 

 learned about them. They belong to the cork-screw 

 group, but differ from those of the two preceding races 

 in being much slenderer, and also in the greater 

 number of turns put in by their main ridge in any 



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