WILD OXEN 299 



GAUR (Bos gaurus) . 



The range of the Gaur is wide, including most of the 

 hilly, forested regions between the North-eastern Himalaya 

 and Cape Comorin ; from Assam the animal extends to the 

 Malay Peninsula. 



The Gaur is one of the most magnificent specimens 

 of the Ox tribe ; so large is it that its native name 

 signifies ' horned elephant.* A full-grown male stands 

 six feet high at the shoulder ; its hide alone is a fair load 

 for a draught ox. The greenish-yellow horns are flattened, 

 especially where they spring from the skull ; they average 

 two feet in length, but are very often quite three. Its well 

 set-up, massive forequarters give the animal a particularly 

 bold and alert appearance, largely due to a ridge running 

 from the shoulders to the middle of the back. There is 

 practically no dewlap. The colour of the hide is mainly 

 dark brown, merging into black with age ; the legs are 

 chiefly white. The thick hide that covers the shoulders 

 is largely used for native shields. 



Living in herds of seldom more than a dozen animals, 

 the Gaur is shy and timid, and never visits the vicinity of 

 settlements or cultivated land. Considering its size the 

 animal is remarkably active, especially in the hilly and 

 wooded ground which it frequents. Fierce combats take 

 place between the bulls for the leadership of a herd ; but 

 even an old, solitary bull is really seldom dangerous to the 

 hunter, except from its first blind rush when surprised in its 

 jungle lair. 



The Gaur has been domesticated to a very small extent, 

 and only by the hill tribes of the North-east. 



GAYAL (Bos frontalis). 

 Plate XXIX. Fig. 2. 



The Gayal, or Mithan, is found chiefly in the region east 

 of the Bramaputra, but also in the coast strip extending as 

 far as Tenasserim. It is a smaller animal than the Gaur ; 

 the shoulder-ridge is less defined, but the dewlap is bigger. 



