260 



The horns vary much in thickness and lyratiou. I have seen 

 several 14 inches long with 23 rings ; but Adams states that he has 

 seen them in the Punjab 18 inches ;* as a rule, very few exceed 14 

 inches, and most are below this. The tip sometimes curves much 

 forward. The horns of the female are small, rarely longer than 6 

 inches, usually 4 to 5, slender, slightly wrinkled at the base, inclin- 

 ing backwards with the tip bent forwards. , 



The Indian gazelle is found throughout India in suitable loca- 

 lities, unknown in lower Bengal and the Malabar Coast, and most 

 abundant in the desert parts of Rajpootana, Humana and Sindh. 

 It is never found in forest country, nor in districts having a damp 

 climate, but is often met with in low thorny jungle. As a rule, 

 however, it prefers the open bare plains, or low rocky hills or sand- 

 hills ; and a barren country to a richly cultivated one." 



No. 71, Page 157. Bos gaurus. 

 The Gaur, Bison of Madras Sportsmen. 



The following extract of a letter from a medical friend, himself 

 an excellent sportsman, gives an interesting illustration of the fury 

 and strength of these magnificent animals when engaged in battle. 

 This grand forest joust must have been a scene which any sports- 

 men or naturalist would have gone far to witness. The bison in 

 question was shot in Central India : 



MY DEAR COLONEL, 



As to the bison story. R. shot a large bull, and on examining 

 the head found in it about midway between the eyes and horns, a 

 little to the left of the mesial line, a fragment of another horn, the 

 tip for about an inch and a half was solid, but it shaded off towards 

 the base into a long thin strip, and on the inside was cup-shaped, the 

 length of the fragment was about 5 or 6 inches as well as my 

 memory serves me. The frontal plate of the head was perforated, 

 the hole large enough to admit the point of my fore-finger, whe- 

 ther the brain was wounded or not it is hard to say, but R. said the 

 entire fragment was embedded in, or surrounded by fatty matter ; 



* Jerdon thinks that there must be some mistake in this, either that the 

 measurement is wrong, or that a different species is meant. VAGBANT. 



