GAZELLA. 529 



361. Gazella picticaudata. The Tibetan Gazelle. 



Procapra picticaudata, Hodgson, J. A. 8. B. xv, p. 334, pi. (1846) 

 xvi, p. 696 ; Blyth, J. A. 8. B. xvi, p. 725 ; id. Cat. p. 173 ; Adams, 

 P. Z. S. 1858, p. 523 ; Blanford, J. A. S. B. xli, pt. 2, p. 39. 



Gazella picticaudata, Brooke, P. Z. S. 1873, p. 547 : W. Sclater, 

 Cat. p. 161. 



Goa, Rdgao, Tibetan. 



Females hornless. Horns in males slender, diverging, very much 

 curved back, the tips curving forwards, but not or very little inwards; 

 from the point the horns look nearly straight. Annulation less 

 strongly marked but closer together than in the other Asiatic 

 species ; 25 to 30 rings in adults. No infraorbital orifice, a naked 

 space on the face corresponding to the position of the gland ; 

 lachrymal fossa very shallow. No knee-brushes. Hair in winter 

 long and soft, particularly long about the corners of the mouth. 

 Tail and ears very short. 



Colour above in winter light sandy fawn, grizzled by the pale 

 tips of the hairs, greyer in summer. Lower parts white, not very 

 sharply divided from the colour of the back ; the white of the 

 buttocks extends all round the base of the tail, forming a distinct 

 caudal disk ; tip of the tail dark rufous brown or black ; no lateral 

 or facial markings ; the fawn colour of the back becomes more 

 rufous on the border of the caudal disk. 



Dimensions. Height of a fine male at shoulder 24 inches, snout 

 to rump 43, tail 0'75, ear 5, horns along curve 13 (Hodgson) ; longest 

 recorded horns 15-75 measured along the curve in front ; greatest 

 basal girth 4. Basal length of a male skull 6-8, orbital breadth 37. 



Distribution. The Tibetan plateau from about 13,000 to about 

 18,000 feet. Found commonly in Ladak and north of Nepal and 

 Sikhim. 



Habits. Very similar to those of other gazelles. This species 

 inhabits the bleak plains of the Tibetan plateau in small parties 

 varying from two or three to about a dozen. They are not generally 

 very shy, and according to Kinloch are but little frightened by 

 noise ; they are even said to pay but little attention to men passing 

 to windward. 



In the Pliocene period antelopes were represented in India by 

 many forms now restricted to Africa. Amongst these ancient 

 Indian antelopes were species of Alcelaphus (hartebeest, &c.), 

 Hippotragus (sable antelope, &c.), and probably of Cobus (water- 

 back, &c.), CephalopJius (duikerbok), Oreas (eland), and Strepsi- 

 ceros (kudu). 



Although the Oiraffidte no longer exist in India, several extinct 

 genera belonging to the family and one species of true giraffe have 

 been discovered in the Indian Pliocene beds. Amongst the extinct 

 forms Sivatherium is the best known ; it was a large animal with 

 two pairs of horns. 



