BOS. 487 



In India all attempts at domestication of this bovine have been 

 failures. The calves appear always to die in captivity, none it is 

 said having been known to attain their third year. But there 

 can be little doubt that the gaur has been tamed and kept 

 tame in some of the hill-tracts between Assam and Burma (see 

 also under B. frontalis on the next page) ; and quite recently a 

 young male animal, now nearly four years old, has been brought to 

 England from Pahang, in the Malay Peninsula, and is still (1891) 

 living in the Zoological Gardens, Regent's Park. 



According to Sanderson, three distinct sounds are uttered by 

 this species. The first is a sonorous bellow, used as a call, and 

 unlike any of the usual bovine sounds. The second is a low 

 " moo," indicative of apprehension or curiosity. The third is the 

 well-known whistling snort of alarm with which the animal 

 dashes off when frightened. I have heard the tame animal in 

 the B-egent's Park utter a prolonged call, not very unlike the 

 lowing of Bos taurus, but utterly unlike that of B. indieus. 



339. Bos frontalis. The Gayal or Mithan. 



Bos frontalis, Lambert, Tr. L. S, vii, pp. 57, 302, pi. iv (1804) ; Griffith, 

 J. A. S. B. viii, pp. 211, 281 ; Blt/th, J. A. S. B. xxxi, p. 338 ; id. 

 Mam. Birds Burma, p. 48 ; Sc'later, P. Z. S. 1866, p. 1, pi. i ; 

 J. Sarbo, P. Z. S. 1883, p. 142 ; W. Blanf. P. Z. S. 1890, p. 593, 

 fig. 2 ; W. Sclater, Cat. p. 126. 

 Bos gavseus, Colebrooke, As. Res. viii, p. 488, pi. (1805) ; Hodgson, 



J. A. S. B. x, pp. 453, 470, pi. 



Bos sylhetanus, F. Cuvier, Hist. Nat. Mam. pis. 418, 419 (1824). 

 Gavseus frontalis, Hodgson, J. A. S. B. xvi, p. 705 ; Horsfield, Cat. 



p. 179 ; Blyth, J. A. S. B. xxix, p. 291 ; id. Cat. p. 162. 

 Gdydl, H. ; Mithan, Bunerea-goru, Gavior Gobi, Assam and Chittagong ; 

 Sandung, Manipuri ; Shel, Shio, Kuki ; Jhongnua, Mugh ; Bui-sang, Hut, 

 Naga ; Phu, Aka ; Siba, Daphla ; Nuni, Tsaing, Burmese. 



Very similar to B. gaurus but smaller, with proportionally shorter 

 limbs, somewhat less developed dorsal ridge, a well-marked dewlap, 

 and very different skull and horns, as shown in the accompanying 

 figures (p. 438). The head is shorter, with shorter nasals, the fore- 

 head quite flat, and the transverse outline of the vertex between the 

 horn-cores straight, not arched. The horns are much less curved, 

 in fact nearly straight, spreading outwards and directed more or 

 less upwards at the tips, but not inwards. 



Colour very similar to that of B. gaurus. Head and body dark 

 brown in both sexes, legs from above the knees and hocks white or 

 yellowish. Many tame individuals are mottled and some are white 

 throughout. Horns blackish throughout. 



Dimensions. Considerably less than in B. gaurus, especially in 

 height. The skull of an old bull known to be that of a wild 

 animal measures 16-2 inches in basal length, 8*5 in breadth across 

 the orbits, length of nasals 6'5, length of horn 14, girth at base the 

 same. I have seen much longer horns on a tame animal. 



Distribution, $c. The history and range of this animal are 



