129 



" The animal in question, which Colonel Hamilton, in his report 

 " on the Pulneys, designates the mountain antelope, is, as far as I 

 " can judge, a true antelope. In color, sandy or very light rufous. 

 " The hair, longer and coarser than the antelope of the plains, and 

 4 ' it is provided with the suborbital sinus, has hoof pits ; the throat 

 " white, and the same color extending along the belly. The fetlocks 

 " are furnished with thick tufts of hair, with a bar of white across 

 " the front, similar to that of the Neilghie, the ears are much broader 

 " than the common antelope, and have tufts of longish hair in the 

 " orifice. The horns are smooth, tapering, and exceedingly sharp 

 " at the points, four inches in length, and slightly curved forward 

 " only found on the males tail between six and seven inches 

 " long. In size this animal is about the same as the Gazella 

 " Bennettii, the black-tailed or goat-antelope, the chikara of 

 " sportsmen. Its flesh is very good. One specimen of this antelope 

 " was, I am informed, shot in the open jungle, in the neighbourhood 

 " of Hassanoor. It is some years now since the last was shot on 

 " these hills, and I doubt much if they will again be met with. 

 " The two that were killed ; though at an interval of some years, 

 " were found on the open hills, not far from Pykara.* None have 

 " been seen since the last was shot. I cannot find in Jerdon's 

 " book of Mammals any description tallying with the specimen, from 

 " which I have taken the above notes." 



Having however obtained from the friend and brother sportsman, 

 quoted at pages 32, 33 and 57 of these notes, the head of one of 

 these antelopes killed at Hassanoor in Southern Mysore, I applied 

 to the best authorities I could think of, viz., Colonel Douglas 

 Hamilton, who had, I knew, a specimen of the mountain antelope, 

 killed at Pykara on the Neilgherries and who is probably the 

 most accomplished sportsman in the Madras Presidency, and Captain 

 Jesse Mitchell who is in charge of the Government Museum at 

 Madras, for any information they could give me regarding the four- 

 horned antelope, Elliot's antelope, or the mountain antelope. I 

 forwarded at the same time to Colonel Douglas Hamilton the head, 

 a photograph of which is attached, and which I intend to present to 



* A doe has been seen on the very same ground since the above was written. 

 VAGRANT. 



