THE MUSK OX IO3 



a distinct species under the name of Ovibos 

 zvardi. 



The true zoological position of the musk ox is a 

 matter of debate. Singularly isolated from the rest 

 of the animal kingdom, its name Ovibos indicates an 

 ox having affinities with the sheep ; it is not, 

 however, a connecting link between the two. The 

 muzzle has a bare strip above the nostrils, as in 

 sheep, but the lip is not cleft as in them, neither are 

 there any foot-glands ; recent investigations seem to 

 indicate that the animal cannot be referred to either 

 group, and that it should form a sub-family of its 

 own. The nearest ally to the musk ox is the 

 curious takin (Budorcas taxicolor) of Thibet, a fierce 

 and little-known animal which has never yet been 

 shot by a European sportsman. The takin stands 

 about three and a half feet at the shoulder, and has 

 thick black horns ; it resembles a musk ox in the 

 making. A specimen of the typical form, now in 

 the Natural History Museum at South Kensington, 

 has the face black and the limbs deep chocolate ; 

 there is a good deal of pale yellow about the nape of 

 the neck, withers and back ; the rest of the fur is 

 blackish brown, and a black line runs along the 

 back. A photograph of a takin calf appeared in the 

 Field for October 13, 1906 ; probably the first living 

 specimen seen by Europeans, it was supposed to be 

 less than twelve months old when the picture was 

 taken. The animal had been obtained in the Sikkim 



