520 EXTINCT AND VANISHING MAMMALS 



The Gaur inhabits the whole of Laos, from the Chinese frontier 

 to that of Cambodia. In spite of the refuge afforded by the great 

 mountains, it has decreased in numbers since 1910, and relatively 

 more so than the Banteng. Like the latter, it has been depleted 

 by repeated epizootics (rinderpest), by night hunting with fire- 

 arms, and by hunting both day and night with great crossbows 

 and poisoned arrows. In a territory 20 km. by 8-10 km., which is 

 well known to the writer and which could support about 100 

 Gaurs and 200 Bantengs, there are practically no Gaurs left but 

 still about 70-80 Bantengs. Wherever the domestic stock has suf- 

 fered from the rinderpest, the Gaurs of adjacent areas have paid 

 a heavy toll. The meat is utilized and there is a trade in horns. 

 The hide is without any value, except that the natives appreciate 

 it, no less than the meat, as food. Protective measures that ought 

 to be adopted include the prohibition of night hunting and of any 

 poisoned weapon. (P. Vitry, in litt., December, 1936.) 



Enemies. "Bison have only Iwo enemies to fear, viz. tiger, and 

 man, but the former is no match for a full-grown bull and it is 

 only when a bison feels his end is approaching through old age, 

 disease or w.ounds, that he succumbs to the repeated attacks of a 

 tiger" (Thorn, 1934, p. 111). 



Domestication. The Gayal or Mythun (Bibos frontalis (Lam- 

 bert)) has long been an outstanding puzzle to taxonomists. Early 

 writers reported it as occurring in the wild as well as the domesti- 

 cated state in eastern Bengal and in Assam. Lydekker (1913, 

 vol. 1, p. 15) refers to it as "the domesticated, or semi-domesti- 

 cated, representative of the gaur." 



More recently, however, a somewhat different and perhaps more 

 plausible explanation has been offered. "The Gyal or Mythun 

 ... is the product of interbreeding between a bull Gaur and 

 domestic cattle. At the fourth generation the true stage of mythun 

 is reached an animal of lesser stature than the Gaur, shorter limbs 

 and usually a well developed dewlap. . . . The horns show a slight 

 upward curve without the terminal inward sweep. . . . Mythun 

 are found in the mountainous tracts from North Cachar, through 

 Manipur, to the Lushai and Chin Hills. They are the peculiar and 

 characteristic possession of the hill tribes inhabiting this region." 

 (Anonymous, 1933, p. 28.) 



On the other hand, Peacock (1933, p. 119) considers the Mythun 

 simply the domesticated Gaur. He has never heard of any cross 

 between the Gaur and domestic cattle except on the northern fron- 

 tiers of Burma. 



