

BOVID^E 365 



from Chinese Tibet. The height of the Yak is somewhat lower 

 than that of the larger domestic cattle. The colour of the wild race 

 is black, tending to brown on the flanks ; but many of the tame 

 breeds which have been crossed with ordinary cattle have more or 

 less white (Fig. 149), and it is the white tails of these half-breeds 

 that are so esteemed in India as " chowries." Yaks are exceedingly 

 intolerant of heat, and the wild ones always live at very great 

 elevations. Tame Yaks are extensively used as beasts of burden 

 in Tibet, where they are extremely valuable in crossing the high 

 and desolate wastes of that region ; they have, however, the great 

 drawback that they refuse to eat corn, so that in districts where 

 there is no grass it is frequently necessary to make forced marches 

 with wearied beasts in order to prevent them (and thus the whole 

 party) perishing from starvation. 



The skull of an extinct species from the Pliocene of Northern 

 India, described as Bos sivalensis, appears to indicate a species allied 

 to the Yak. 



With the Bibovine group we come to the consideration of three 

 Oriental species which connect the preceding forms with the 

 typical Oxen. The three species are the Gaur (B. gaurus) the 

 Gayal (B. frontalis, Fig. 150) of India, and the Banteng (B. sondaicus) 

 of Burma, Java, Bali, and Lambok. In this group, as in the true 

 Oxen, there are thirteen pairs of ribs, against fourteen in the 

 Bisons. All the three species are characterised by the great height 

 of the spines of the anterior dorsal vertebrae, causing a promi- 

 nent ridge down the back. The horns, which are of a greenish 

 colour in the Gaur, are somewhat flattened, and after running out- 

 wards are directed upwards instead of backwards ; they occupy the 

 vertex of the skull. The frontals are more or less concave, the 

 premaxillse do not join the nasals, and the occipital aspect of the 

 skull is characterised by the deep incisions made by the temporal 

 fossae. The lower part of the legs is white (Fig. 150), and the hoofs 

 are comparatively small and pointed. The Gaur (B. gaurus) is the 

 largest of the three species, and inhabits all the large forests of India 

 from near Cape Comorin to the foot of the Himalaya; it is commonly 

 known to sportsmen as the Indian Bison. It stands fully 6 feet in 

 height at the withers, which are much elevated ; and since the whole 

 back is arched the line from the nose to the root of the tail forms 

 an almost continuous curve. The most characteristic feature of the 

 animal is, however, the large and convex intercornual frontal crest, 

 which curves forward, and thus gives a concave profile to this part 

 of the skull. As a rule the Gaur prefers hilly regions, although it 

 is sometimes met with on the flat. It is very shy and readily 

 frightened ; and it has never been domesticated. The Gayal, or 

 Mi than, of which a figure is given in woodcut 150, is at once dis- 

 tinguished from the Gaur by the straight line between the horns 



