632 EXTINCT AND VANISHING MAMMALS 



the closeness of the volutions, some turning round a straight and 

 direct axis from the base to the apex, others taking a wider or more 

 circular spiral sweep. 



"The colours of the male are very similar to those of the female 

 . . . , but he possesses a long black beard, which in her is wanting; 

 the colour of the upper parts is a yellowish brown, yielding to greyish 

 with age. Along the dorsal ridge is a narrow pale stripe . . . ; the 

 forepart of the limbs are deep brown, of a chestnut hue, and the tail 

 is of the same colour; the belly white. . . . The tail is about six 

 inches long." (Hutton, 1842, p. 538.) The record length of horn 

 in a straight line is 39| inches (Ward, 1935, p. 265) . 



Lydekker (1913c, vol. 1, p. 167) gives as the distribution of this 

 subspecies "the mountain ranges of Northern Afghanistan," and 

 refers to it specimens from such widely distant points as Chitral in 

 the North-West Frontier Province and Quetta in Baluchistan. It 

 is unknown in northeastern Persia (Kennion, 1911, p. 37). 



Animals of the Cabul type "are first found in the hills on the 

 northern edge of the Peshawar district, and they are the variety 

 which occurs in the Kabul Valley and all the hill ranges of the 

 North-West Frontier of India down to the Gomal River, which may 

 be said to be its southern limit" (Burrard, 1925?, p. 176) . 



It is presumably this form of Markhor that occurs in extreme 

 southeastern Russian Turkestan. W. G. Heptner writes (in litt., 

 December, 1936) that it exists only in a very limited area in the 

 mountains on the right bank of the Amu Daria and in the most 

 remote regions. It does not seem to be threatened. 



On the popular utilization of this animal, Hutton writes (1842, 

 p. 539) : 



The name of "Markhore," or "Snake-eater," is given to the animal by the 

 Afghans from an idea, that it has an instinctive feeling which prompts it to 

 seek for and devour snakes. Hence it is believed also, that if a man be bitten 

 by a snake, the wound may speedily be healed, and the poison neutralised by 

 eating of the flesh of the Markhore. The hunters also declare, that the fat 

 of the stomach is so excessively nutritious, that it enables them to pursue 

 the chase with greater vigour than any other food, and even after a meal 

 of it, to endure a fast of several days. 



The "bezoar" is said to be often found in the stomach of this animal, and 

 is thought to be efficacious in drawing out the poison from a snake bite, 

 and it is applied for this purpose to the wounded part. 



Chialtan Markhor 



Lydekker (1913c, vol. 1, p. 171, fig. 45) has described Capra 

 falconeri chialtanensis from "the Chialtan Range, near Quetta, 

 Baluchistan," adding that "the race is believed to be extinct." The 

 horns form an open spiral of rather more than one complete turn, 



