446 



RECORDS OF BIG GAME 



Skull and Horns of Gayal, from Mr. A. O. Hume's specimen. 



The GAYAL or MITHAN (Bos [Bibos] frontalis). 



The gayal is a rather smaller animal than the gaur, of a blacker 

 colour, with a large dewlap, and with a straight line between the bases 

 of the massive horns, which are more divergent, less curved upwards, 

 more nearly cylindrical in section, and of a darker colour. The head, 

 too, is much shorter, with the forehead very broad and flat. It is 

 probably only a domesticated race of the gaur, as there are indications 

 of a transition in the form of the skull between the two : if this be so, 

 it is not entitled to rank as a species. 



Distribution. Kept in a semi-domesticated condition by many of the 

 hill -tribes of Assam and Chittagong, it has been stated to be 

 wild in Tenasserim, but there is no evidence that such reported wild 

 herds may not be the descendants of domesticated animals. 



Lengthen Circum- Tip to Tip . Locality, 



outside curve, ference. 



-14 

 I2g 



\\\ 

 13^ 

 14 



26| 



28 Tenasserim 



273 



Owner. 

 British Museum. 



A. O. Hume. (See illustration.) 

 Indian Museum. 

 British Museum. 



- Owner's measurements. 



