46 GUN, RIFLE, A AW HOUND. 



of all living antelopes, except the monstrous eland of 

 Southern Africa, from which it differs greatly in the 

 fact that its horns, unlike those of the eland, are very 

 short, never exceeding nine inches. 



In general appearance they resemble the cattle of 

 the Channel Islands very much, and it is small wonder 

 that the Hindoo natives of India should be deceived 

 by this and by their very cowlike long tails into 

 including them in the reverent protection they afford 

 to the sacred cow. 



In colour the bulls are of a blue gray, whence their 

 Htndostanee name, nyl-ghau^ blue bull. The cows are 

 of a rich chestnut brown, and both sexes have curious 

 white marks about the legs and fetlocks. The bulls 

 have a long fringe of hair hanging from the under side 

 of the neck, and this part was formeVly much sought 

 for by natives to cover shields, the throat ornament 

 forming the boss in the centre. They are not, as will 

 be seen hereafter, so strictly nocturnal in their habits 

 as some of the deer tribe. They frequent rocky hills 

 covered with thorny jungle, and in spite of their 

 awkward and cowlike appearance, possess considerable 

 activity and speed, so much so that even the sure- 

 footed Arab horse finds it difficult to follow their head- 

 long gallop, and it is only the oldest and heaviest bulls 

 that have ever been fairly ridden down and killed with 

 the spear. The horns, though short and pointed, like 

 those of a bull, are put on like those of an antelope, 

 meeting slightly towards the tips. Any one who has 

 once seen the head of a blue bull will readily under- 

 stand the remark of a well-known sportsman, who, 



