The Takin 



been on an expedition into the Mishmi country, and 1 

 gave the men instructions to get a female takin head. 

 A good many heads were brought in, but none Hke the 

 one in the figure, with the exception of very small 

 specimens, which belonged to very young animals." 

 The writer then goes on to say that he consulted Mr. 

 Needham, the political officer at Sadiya, who had seen 

 a considerable number of heads, and who was of opinion 

 that the female horns are similar in shape to those of 

 the male, and that the small singly-curved horns shown 

 in fig. 24 are those of immature animals. 



In the typical Mishmi takin the colour of the hair on 

 the head is black, but elsewhere it varies from yellowish 

 to reddish brown mingled with black, being lightest on 

 the back and darkest on the under-parts and limbs. 



The precise limits of the geographical distribution of 

 the Mishmi takin are not yet known. Two eastern races 

 of the species have been described, namely the Moupin 

 takin {Budorcas taxicolor tibeianus) of Eastern Tibet, 

 and the Kansu takin of North-West China ; but whether 

 they are really distinct may be doubtful. 



Writing of the younger examples obtained by the 

 Abbe David, Professor Milne -Edwards observed that 

 at this stage of its existence the Moupin takin presents 

 a considerable resemblance to a small, long-haired, 

 and somewhat woolly calf. In colour it is brown- 

 red, more or less dark, passing into black along 

 the middle line of the back, on the cheeks, the upper 

 part of the body, and the feet. The build is less heavy 

 than in the adult, and the horns commence to bud at an 

 early period. With advancing age the coat lightens 

 and becomes in great part yellowish, as in the adult, 

 although the original brown-red colour persists for a 

 long time in front of the withers and in the region of 

 the pelvis. In the adult female the colour is paler and 

 greyer than in the bull ; but none of the specimens in 

 the Paris Museum show the coloration of the Mishmi 

 takin. 



163 



