ORDER ARTIODACTYLA : EVEN-TOED UNGULATES 635 



Recent reports from Baluchistan are more encouraging, ,and the preserves 

 established near Ziarat will save markhor for many a day and give many a 

 sportsman the thrill of climbing on the cliffs of Khilafat ; but in the North- 

 West Frontier Province the case of the markhor seems almost hopeless. 



The Government of the North-West Frontier Province writes (in 

 litt., December, 1936) that this Markhor is now reduced in that 

 province to a few specimens on the Sheikh Budin Range in the Bannu 

 district. The cause of depletion is overshooting; there is no legal 

 protection. 



Sumatran Serow 



CAPRICORNIS SUMATRAENSIS SUMATRAENSIS (Bechstein) 



Antilope sumatraensis Bechstein, Pennant's tlbersicht vierfiiss. Thiere, vol. 1, 

 p. 98, 1799. (Sumatra.) 



FIGS.: Geoffroy and Cuvier, Hist. Nat. Mammif., vol. 4, livr. 27, pi. 160, 1821; 

 Hamilton Smith, 1827, pi. facing p. 276; Jardine, Nat. Libr., vol. 22, 

 Mamm., Ruminantia, pt. 2, pi. "1" [=2], 1836; De Tropische Natuur, 

 vol. 7, p. 132, fig., 1919; Mjoberg, 1930, pi. 18; Mohr, 1934, figs. 1-8, and 

 1936, figs. 1-9. 



Although recent investigation indicates that the Sumatran Serow 

 is not quite so rare as formerly supposed, nevertheless its need of 

 better protection is shown by its generally decreasing numbers. 



The general color of two adult males from the Korinchi Valley, 

 West Sumatra, is black; a short dense black crest on median line of 

 back; tail black; under parts of body, inner sides and lower parts 

 of limbs brownish black ; area above hoofs ochraceous-tawny ; mane 

 composed of black, white, drab, and ochraceous-tawny bristles; lips 

 and patch on chin and throat buffy white (Robinson and Kloss, 

 1918, pp. 66-67). Length of horn, 6 inches (Schneider, 1905, p. 141). 

 Height at shoulder about 3 feet. 



Bock states (1879, p. 308) that this Serow is sparingly distributed 

 in the Padang highlands, the best district being Lolo. 



Schneider (1905, pp. 138-140) gives it a similar status in the 

 Battak and Simbolon Mountains, where it occurs in troops of three 

 to six individuals on the steep, thickly grown slopes. The Battaks 

 capture the animal in snares and pitfalls. They utilize the bones and 

 marrow for food, and the horns as containers for charms. 



According to Mjoberg (1930, pp. 45-49), this timid creature ap- 

 pears "on the summits of Sumatra's sulphurous volcanoes and in the 

 most difficult districts of the Karo-Batta Plateau .... 



"Many Sumatra sportsmen have made lengthy expeditions to the 

 Sibayak Volcano, but their pursuit has been to no purpose. . . . 



"The 'serow' is still in existence, although in our days it has 

 retreated into the most impenetrable tracts surrounding the sum- 



